Shreyas Iyer describes the qualities that make PBKS’ head coach unique: “Ricky Ponting treats every player equally.”

Captain Shreyas Iyer spoke about some of the strategies used by head coach Ricky Ponting to make Punjab Kings (PBKS) a powerful team as they prepare to play in their first Indian Premier League (IPL) final since 2014.

In Qualifier 2 against the Mumbai Indians (MI), Shreyas helped PBKS chase down a 204-run mark in 19 overs with five wickets remaining with an outstanding effort of 87 not out off 41 balls. Ponting has treated every player equally and inspired the team with his comments before and after games, according to the right-handed batter.

“The guys are expertly managed by Ricky Ponting, who is a great coach. His treatment of each player equally is one quality that makes him stand out. Ahead of PBKS’ matchup with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the IPL 2025 final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Tuesday, June 3, Shreyas Iyer told reporters, “That’s a real big boost to every individual, whether he is a junior or senior moist.”

“No matter the outcome, I have never witnessed his emotions fluctuate. A great coach will exhibit that trait. And we get a huge boost from the strong ideas he offers in his speeches both before and after the game. We are always thrilled to hear him speak after the game, and working with him is just amazing,” he continued.

Remarkably, in 2019, the Ponting-Shreyas Iyer combination also assisted the Delhi Capitals in making it to the IPL final for the first time. With PBKS, they are now poised to make history. After their convincing victory over five-time champions Mumbai in Qualifier 2, they would be feeling quite confident.

Shreyas Iyer has taken the lead in leading the team.

With 603 runs from 16 innings at an average of 54.82 and a strike rate of 175.81, he has been the definition of consistency. The 30-year-old would like to pick up where he left off against MI in the summit match.