Punjab Kings head coach Ricky Ponting revealed he is yet to have a word with Shreyas Iyer about captaincy of the franchise and reflected on the possibility of missing out on reuniting Rishabh Pant in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025.
Punjab Kings, who entered the mega auction with the biggest purse of Rs 110.5 crore, didn’t hesitate to shell out money in the marquee picks. After engaging in a fierce bidding war with Delhi Capitals, PBKS acquired Iyer for Rs 26.75 crore, making him the second-highest-paid star in IPL history.
Going all in for Iyer meant PBKS had to think before bidding for Pant when he entered the auction. When Pant’s name popped up for auction, PBKS kept their paddle low throughout the bid as many franchises went after him.
Lucknow Super Giants eventually ended with Pant’s services with a price tag of Rs 27 crore, making him the highest-paid star in IPL history.
Ponting acknowledged the influence of Pant and said during a press conference, “Everyone knows what Rishabh can do, his value to the game, his value to the team. He is a dynamic player, has an infectious attitude and is a winner.”
PBKS acquiring Iyer would mean that they have potentially invested in a potential captaincy candidate. Ponting was quick to note that he is yet to have a word with Iyer about captaincy and revealed that he tried calling him before the auction but got no response. “I haven’t spoken to him (Shreyas Iyer about captaincy) yet. I tried to call him before the auction, but he didn’t pick up,” he said.
Ponting and Iyer have worked together previously during their time with the Delhi Capitals. The former Australian captain hopes that Iyer can replicate his last season’s success with the Kolkata Knight Riders and lead PBKS to their maiden title trophy.
“He’s been a successful captain in IPL before. I worked with him 3 for 4 years in Delhi, and he was the championship winner from last season. We have got someone there who can do the job if that’s the way we decided to go. I’m delighted to have him back and work with him again, he scored a good score yesterday. If he can do that for us in the IPL we will all be pretty happy,” Ricky Ponting, Punjab Kings,” Ponting noted.
