The newly appointed head coach of Punjab Kings, cricket legend Ricky Ponting, reveals his key strategy for the season ahead, listing three Indian cricketers: Shreyas Iyer, Arshdeep Singh, and Yuzvendra Chahal, who he says cannot be missed while rebuilding the franchise for their first IPL title.
Ponting, who joined PBKS with the goal of constructing a balanced and competitive squad, targeted these players during the IPL 2025 mega auction, where Iyer, Chahal, and Arshdeep made headlines for their record-breaking bids.
Key Auction Picks:
Shreyas Iyer: The former Kolkata Knight Riders skipper was a massive buy by PBKS, who shelled out a humongous amount of Rs 26.75 crore for the player, becoming the second costliest buy after the auction. Ponting made it clear what he wanted-from a proven leader who could get the team closer to success.
Yuzvendra Chahal: The leg-spinner, known for his wicket-taking ability, was snapped up by PBKS for Rs 18 crore, making him the highest-priced spinner in IPL history. Chahal’s ability to turn games around with the ball was seen as a vital addition to Punjab’s bowling attack.
Arshdeep Singh: The left-arm pacer, who has now become India’s highest wicket-taker in T20Is, created a really interesting auction for the bidding. PBKS used the Right to Match (RTM) card to retain him in the auction for Rs 18 crore, and Arshdeep is now the costliest Indian pacer in IPL auction history. According to Ponting, Arshdeep has an old association with Punjab Kings as he had been with the franchise for several years.
Ponting further elaborated on his strategy while appearing on The Howie Games podcast, saying, “There were three players that I wanted to bring in. One who has been at Punjab Kings for three or four years — Arshdeep Singh. I also wanted to bring in a captain who I have worked with before and who has had a lot of success. So, we went after Shreyas Iyer. I also wanted to bring in Yuzi.”
Indian Talent Focus
In this regard, Ponting showed his focus toward a balanced squad, with attention on retaining as well as recruiting strong Indian talent, though many overseas players seem to be promising. In an auction where many overseas players hogged the attention, Ponting was quite adamant that he preferred to focus his attention on bringing in a good core group of reliable Indian cricketers.
“We had to make a few tweaks as the auction went on to ensure we ended up with a really good squad,” he said, adding, “The overseas guys create a lot of hype, and they go for a lot of money. But as far as I am concerned, I needed to bring the right Indian players back into the tent.”
Long-Term Vision: Young Indian Talent
The franchise also indicates commitment to growing young Indian players, holding onto uncapped talents like Prabhsimran Singh and Shashank Singh as part of their long-term vision for the future.
Ponting also talked about how popular he is in India and recalled how he has been constantly approached by fans for autographs or photographs when he is around. He felt that this affection was because of his stint in India, be it as a commentator or mentoring many Indian cricketers.
“When you are in India, on most flights or when you check into a hotel, there are so many people around trying to have a picture or they wish to grab your bag to drop into your room. But it’s part and parcel of an Australian cricketer’s life when you visit India,” he shared.
Ponting ended with an assurance that he has always been well appreciated by Indians both in his player and commentator life after he transitioned to the latter. He feels pretty sure that his deep networking in Indian cricket will come in handy and build a good Punjab Kings team.
