"He's a great leader": Ricky Ponting excited to work with Shreyas Iyer again

New Delhi [India], January 13 (ANI): The newly appointed head coach of Indian Premier League (IPL) side Punjab Kings (PBKS), Ricky Ponting, expressed his enthusiasm and pride in naming Shreyas Iyer as the new captain of the team. Ponting praised Iyer's leadership and experience, noting his impressive track record.
In a video shared by the official X handle of Punjab Kings, Ponting stated, "Hi all Punjab Kings fans, it's Ricky Ponting here. It gives me great pleasure today to formally announce Shreyas Iyer as our captain going forward. He's a great player, he's a great leader, he's got great experience, he's last year's IPL winning captain and we've worked together for a long time. Bring on this year, I can't wait."

𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐡𝐫𝐞 🤝 𝐂𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐏𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 ➡️ A combination that works wonder! ❤️#CaptainShreyas #RickyPonting #SaddaPunjab #PunjabKings pic.twitter.com/8vO5FMf1pq

— Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) January 13, 2025

The right-handed batter was roped in by the franchise for a whopping Rs 26.75 crore at the auctions in December 2024 and will rejoin hands with head coach Ricky Ponting to lead the franchise.
Earlier, Punjab Kings completed a successful IPL 2025 auction on November 24 and 25 in Jeddah, finding the right balance of Indian and international talent among their ranks.
The franchise adopted a fresh approach under the new head coach, Ricky Ponting, building a new-look squad blending the best talent available in the auction.
With Indian players Arshdeep Singh, Shreyas Iyer, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Harpreet Brar, the team assembled experienced campaigners with vast experience in the Indian Premier League. Quality international players Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, and Lockie Ferguson add to the Indian core.
Talented young domestic players, Suryansh Shedge, Pyla Avinash, Musheer Khan, Harnoor Pannu, Pravin Dubey, and Priyansh Arya, were recruited, keeping the long term in mind. The extensive scouting effort from the team was vital in identifying the future Kings.
Ponting credited the hard work of the management that went into the auctions behind the scenes.
Punjab Kings Squad for IPL 2025:
Batters: Shreyas Iyer, Shashank Singh (retained), Nehal Wadhera, Harnoor Singh Pannu, Priyansh Arya, Pyla Avinash.
Wicketkeepers: Josh Inglis, Vishnu Vinod, Prabhsimran Singh (retained).
All-rounders: Glenn Maxwell (spin), Marcus Stoinis (pace), Marco Jansen (pace), Harpreet Brar (spin), Azmatullah Omarzai (pace), Aaron Hardie (pace), Musheer Khan (spin), Suryansh Shedge (pace).
Spinners: Yuzvendra Chahal, Pravin Dubey.
Fast bowlers: Arshdeep Singh (RTM), Lockie Ferguson, Yash Thakur, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Kuldeep Sen, Xavier Bartlett. (ANI)