The combination of head coach Ricky Ponting and skipper Shreyas Iyer did wonders for PBKS in IPL 2025.
Punjab Kings (PBKS) head coach Ricky Ponting came up with an epic reply after he was asked by co-owner of the franchise, Preity Zinta, about being aggressive on the field and calm as a person. He told the Bollywood actress to sit next to him in the dugout to see the real side of him.
Under Ricky Ponting, PBKS became a force to be reckoned with in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. For the first time since 2014, the franchise reached the playoffs of the tournament and also reached the final before losing to the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the summit clash at the Narendra Modi International Cricket Stadium in Ahmedabad.
The combination of head coach Ricky Ponting and skipper Shreyas Iyer did wonders for PBKS. The franchise was the most consistent team in the tournament and finished the league stage at the top of the points table with nine wins under their belt.
With the kind of cricket that they played, it was expected that they would end the title drought. But RCB got better off them in the final and won the title for the first time in 18 years under the leadership of Rajat Patidar.
You need to come and sit next to me in the dugout sometimes because you will see that it’s not always calm – Ricky Ponting
Ricky Ponting had a conversation with Preity Zinta during the season. The co-owner of the franchise asked: “How does somebody be so aggressive on the ground and as a person, but be so calm and chilled out?”
Replying to this, Ricky Ponting told Zinta to sit next to him in the dugout to see that he is not always calm. He said:
“You need to come and sit next to me in the dugout sometimes because you will see that it’s not always calm. Look, I’m an aggressive-natured person, especially when it’s cricket time.”
When it’s cricket time, it’s my job to bring high performance to this team – Ricky Ponting
Ricky Ponting added that he can be as chill as can be outside of cricket time, but during cricket time, his only job is to bring the best out of his team and make every single player the best. He added:
“I’ll have a laugh and a joke and a coffee and a sit down with anyone and talk about anything outside of cricket time. But when it’s cricket time, it’s my job to bring high performance to this team.”
“And so I’m not gonna waste a minute, I’m not gonna waste a day, I’m not gonna waste a training session where I’m not trying to be the best coach that I can be and make every single player that’s playing with me the best player that they can be.”
PBKS would be hoping to make a strong comeback next year and win their first-ever title in the league.
For more updates, follow Khel Now Cricket on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.
