Punjab Kings head coach Ricky Ponting believes captain Shreyas Iyer is ready to take charge of India’s T20 side in the future, arguing that the batter is playing his best cricket right now. His comments come as Punjab work through a tough phase after parting ways with Suryakumar Yadav as captain for India, with Ponting pointing to Iyer’s maturity and impact both on and off the field.
Ponting backs Iyer for India’s T20 leadership
Ponting said the competition for India’s next T20 captaincy role is wide, but he sees Iyer as one of the leading candidates. Speaking in an interview, the former Australia captain highlighted that Iyer has shown his class in T20 cricket and is operating at a higher level than before.
- Ponting said there are “several contenders” for the India T20 captaincy after Suryakumar, but Iyer stands out as a primary option.
- He described Iyer as “a much more mature player” and said he is “completely on top of his game now.”
- He added that the selectors would likely discuss Iyer not only for a return to the side, but also for leadership “with the captaincy” attached to his name.
Why the talk around Iyer has intensified
Even without being part of India’s current T20 setup, talk about Iyer becoming the next India captain has grown in recent times. Ponting tied that noise to Iyer’s performances in the IPL and Punjab Kings’ early momentum.
- Ponting noted that Iyer’s season has been “very impressive” and his captaincy has been “excellent.”
- He pointed to the idea that India’s system doesn’t allow easy returns: players must score runs consistently and in the right way.
- The coach also referenced Punjab Kings’ “peerless” start to the tournament, which helped fuel the buzz around Iyer before the franchise suffered a major collapse.
Ponting also acknowledged Suryakumar’s recent achievement, noting that the India batter captained the national team to an unprecedented second World Cup title. However, he stressed that Suryakumar’s form has tailed off drastically over the past 12 months, and that he has not looked close to his best even during the ongoing IPL.
Punjab’s season, leadership record and the road ahead
While Punjab Kings have endured a sharp downturn, Ponting insisted that the franchise can still qualify for the playoffs. He pointed to Iyer’s leadership record, recalling that Iyer guided Kolkata Knight Riders to the title before moving to Punjab Kings. In Iyer’s first season with the Punjab franchise, he took the team to its maiden final in 11 years.
- Ponting said Punjab Kings can still make the playoffs despite a dramatic slide that included losing six games in a row.
- He urged confidence that Iyer will “bounce back” in their next match, framing it as a must-win situation.
- Punjab’s next game is a final league fixture against Lucknow Super Giants, described as a “down-and-out” side.
Ponting’s message for the team was direct: if Iyer delivers a significant score, Punjab will have a strong chance to win. He also said that qualifying would help push the criticism away and let the focus return to cricket.
- “There are going to be times when you have your ups and downs as an individual and as a team,” Ponting said.
- He added: “I’m pretty sure he’ll bounce back in this last game that we’ve got. If he stands up and makes a big score, then we have a good chance of winning the game.”
- Ponting concluded with the belief that if the franchise qualifies, “all this negativity out there about us will go away.”
Handling criticism, travel plans and Ponting’s read of the tournament
Punjab’s campaign has drawn criticism on social media due to certain off-field incidents, but Ponting said none of that negativity has reached the dressing room. He claimed the team has managed its internal matters properly and that the players remain focused on winning matches.
- Ponting stated that there haven’t been off-field issues for him to worry about as a coach.
- He said social media can turn “one little headline” into a bigger story, but that it does not affect the squad.
- He emphasized that the team knows what it needs to do on the field and continues to push forward.
After a hat-trick of losses in Dharamsala, Punjab Kings flew to Delhi for a couple of nights. They are set to travel to Lucknow on Wednesday night ahead of the Sunday clash.
Ponting also said he allowed the players a short break following their defeat to Royal Challengers Bengaluru, delaying his pep talk until after they arrive in Lucknow.
What Ponting wants the players to remember
In his preparations, Ponting asked the group to return to the belief they showed in the first six or seven games of the season. He said Punjab must hold onto those memories rather than fear failure or focus on not achieving success.
- He called it “pretty simple” for the team: get back to believing in how good they were early on.
- Ponting said at their best, Punjab have been the most fearless team in the tournament, adding that they have played with daring intent.
- He said he will again talk about bringing those qualities into the game against Lucknow.
High-impact start, then a small dip
On the broader swings of the tournament, Ponting described the early phase as among the best T20 cricket he has seen from any side he has been around. He said Punjab were breaking records and playing a high-quality, high-risk style that worked brilliantly at the beginning.
- Ponting said the opening section featured “some of the best T20 cricket” he has witnessed from any team.
- He described the approach as “high-impact, high-risk,” and said it delivered results at the start.
- He cautioned that in the IPL, where teams are closely matched, you cannot afford to be off by even a couple of percentage points in any area.
- He added that over the last six games, Punjab have likely been “a little off” in most aspects of their play.
