Ricky Ponting Hails Shreyas Iyer: 'There's A Reason I Spent As Much Money At The Auction'

Ricky Ponting showered praise on Shreyas Iyer after the Punjab Kings captain produced a composed, unbeaten century to guide his side to a vital seven-wicket victory over Lucknow Super Giants in the Indian Premier League 2026 season.

Iyer’s unbeaten 101 not only secured Punjab’s first win after six straight defeats but also kept their playoff hopes alive. The result lifted PBKS to fourth place in the standings, although their qualification now depends on other results, including the clash between Rajasthan Royals and Mumbai Indians.

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Ponting admitted Punjab had made life difficult for themselves in recent matches but praised the team’s response under pressure, particularly Iyer’s leadership

during the chase.

“We’ve done it the hard way, let’s put it that way. We’ve done what we needed to do today (Saturday). Sloppy in the field again, gave them 20 more runs than they should’ve got. Pretty clinical chase, especially being in trouble early. The captain, he’s done that all season. That’s his first IPL century tonight.”

Coach Praises Captain

The former Australian captain also spoke glowingly about Shreyas Iyer‘s character, leadership qualities and influence inside the dressing room.

“There’s a reason I spent as much money at the auction as I did a couple of years ago. He’s a ripping guy, a very mature player now, and a very mature leader. More often than not, he keeps his emotions in check on the field. The respect he has from his players is second to none.”

Ponting added: “The moment he stands in front of the group and speaks, not a single eyeball leaves a single word he says. Delighted to work with him. Really happy with the season he’s had.”

The PBKS coach also backed Iyer for a bigger future with India’s T20 side and praised opener Prabhsimran Singh for another strong contribution.

“A terrific player. It’s probably only been the last couple of years that he has realised how good he is,” Ponting said, while admitting the squad would nervously follow the remaining league matches to learn their playoff fate.

(With inputs from Agencies)