Ponting hails – Ricky Ponting said he spent big on Shreyas Iyer for a reason after the Punjab Kings captain’s unbeaten 101 helped PBKS end a six-match losing streak with a seven-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants—keeping their IPL 2026 playoff hopes alive, even as their pla
Mullanpur went quiet for a moment—then caught fire again when Shreyas Iyer stepped up with the kind of batting that doesn’t just chase a target, it changes the temperature of a season.
After Punjab Kings’ captain produced a sensational unbeaten century, Punjab revived their IPL 2026 playoff hopes with a seven-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants on Saturday. Punjab ended a six-match losing streak by chasing 197 in just 18 overs.
Iyer carried the innings with 101 not out off 51 balls, registering his maiden IPL century. Prabhsimran Singh then raised the tempo in a huge third-wicket partnership, smashing 69 off 39 balls during a match-winning 140-run stand for the third wicket.
Ricky Ponting, the PBKS head coach, was blunt about what the win cost them. “We’ve done it the hard way, let’s put it that way. We’ve done what we needed to do today. Sloppy in the field again, gave them 20 more runs than what they should’ve got. Pretty clinical chase, especially being in trouble early,” Ponting said after the match.
But the celebration, he made clear, starts with Iyer.
Ponting revealed why Punjab invested heavily in the captain at the auction. saying there was a clear reason behind the decision. “The captain, he’s done that all season. That’s his first IPL century tonight. We’ll celebrate that and then we’ll sit around and wait for those results tomorrow,” he said. “There’s a reason I spent as much money at the auction as I did a couple of years ago (on Iyer). He’s a ripping guy, very mature player now, very mature leader. More often than not keeps his emotions in check on the field. The respect he has from his players is second to none.”.
He also described how Iyer leads beyond statistics—how the dressing room listens. and how momentum is protected when pressure rises. “The moment he stands in front of the group and speaks. not a single eye ball leaves a single word he says. Delighted to work with him. Really happy on the season he’s had,” Ponting added.
With the franchise still hanging by a thread, Punjab’s win moved them up to fourth place with 15 points from 14 matches. Their playoff hopes, though, still rely on what happens elsewhere on Sunday.
Rajasthan Royals face Mumbai Indians on Sunday, and PBKS need Rajasthan to lose to stay in the top four. Ponting acknowledged the blunt reality: Punjab’s dip in form after a strong first half had hurt them—and it was visible again in the details. from the early trouble in the chase to the fielding lapses that he said cost them runs.
“The level of cricket we played in the first half was a level I’ve never seen before. And then we just made some crucial errors at different times in the last six games,” Ponting said.
Even with the season-wide pressure, Ponting found room to praise the people carrying the team’s chances. He pointed to Prabhsimran Singh. crediting the young opener for carrying more self-belief into his batting now than he had in earlier years. “Terrific player. It’s probably only been the last couple of years that he has realised how good he is. Him and Priyansh have been outstanding for us the last couple of seasons. Seeing him play a mature innings tonight in a good run chase will do him a world of good. ” Ponting said.
There was also a bigger message for Iyer’s future. Ponting backed the captain for a larger role in India’s white-ball setup. saying he believes the next step is already taking shape. “Great to see him back in the Indian one day team. I really think there’s a bigger, brighter future for him in the Indian T20 team as well,” Ponting stated.
As the league shifts toward its decisive stage, Ponting made it clear Punjab will be watching every ball—even when they aren’t playing. “We’ll try to get the boys together and watch it (the RR-MI game),” he concluded.
Punjab Kings Shreyas Iyer Ricky Ponting IPL 2026 Lucknow Super Giants Prabhsimran Singh PBKS playoffs