IPL: Ponting happy with PBKS depth; Shreyas to bat at No.3

Chandigarh: Sixteen captains in 17 IPL seasons. A telling statistic that reveals the struggles for Punjab Kings, season after season. Coming third in the inaugural IPL 2008 and the 2014 runners-up status are not even discussed. The eighth and ninth place finishes, in 2023 and 2024, though cast an unwanted shadow.

Punjab Kings will hope this will be the year of resurgence. A new coach in Ricky Ponting, and the 17th skipper in a player with whom he shares a special bond Shreyas Iyer. And the batter, bought for ₹26.75 crore at the auction, has arrived with great expectations and confidence, having led Kolkata Knight Riders to the 2024 title and then anchor almost every innings in India’s Champions Trophy triumph. On the kind of slow pitches that are likely as the Indian summer heat bakes the pitches.

PBKS though are a revamped unit. Glenn Maxwell, who topping the batting for Punjab with 552 runs in 2014, is back. His 360 degrees shot-making and useful spin, the team will hope, influences results. Young left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh, the 2017 top bowler for PBKS whose calmness stood out in the 2024 T20 World Cup final win, has only got better.

Ponting and Iyer addressed the media on Tuesday and were upbeat about the team.

“We have managed to have an exciting group of 25 players… The great thing is we have back up players for almost every position. The team has great depth,” Ponting said.

The former Australia batting great, who was Delhi Capitals coach last season, added: “It is always good to have a strong coaching challenge. We have nothing to lose, and we do not need to be afraid of anything. I can’t wait to be there and give my best. The team should be destructive and dynamic on the field.”

Whether the Ponting-Iyer understanding works for a franchise which has not done well in recent editions will be keenly followed.

Ponting hopes the auction work will pay dividends on the field. “We wanted to have young and energetic players with that big purse. We were clear to have leaders and match-winners like Yuzvendra Chahal and many more in the side. We are happy to have high quality Indian players and also top-notch overseas players.”

PBKS has not had a great record playing at home in the past. Mullanpur will stage four matches and Dharamsala three. They face Gujarat Titans first up in Ahmedabad on March 25.

From the 2024 edition, PBKS retained only Prabhsimran Singh and Shashank Singh while they bought back Arshdeep via the right-to-match card for ₹18 crore. The Aussie players include allrounder Marcus Stoinis and keeper-batter Josh Inglis.

“In the auction itself it was very clear and evident who I wanted to be the captain…we had a great working relationship in DC. I am sure he is going to make his mark on the team as captain.”

Iyer said he would bat at No.3 in the tournament. “I am very clear about that, as long as the coach approves,” he joked.