Punjab Kings head coach Ricky Ponting lavished praise on captain Shreyas Iyer after the PBKS skipper produced a sensational unbeaten century to keep the franchise alive in the IPL 2026 playoff race. Punjab ended their six-match losing streak with a commanding seven-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants on Saturday, chasing down 197 in just 18 overs. Shreyas led the charge with a superb 101 not out off 51 balls, registering his maiden IPL century, while Prabhsimran Singh hammered 69 off 39 balls in a match-winning 140-run stand for the third wicket. Reflecting on the victory, Ponting admitted Punjab had endured a difficult road in recent weeks but credited the team for responding under pressure. “We’ve done it the hard way, let’s put it that way. We’ve done what we needed to do today. Sloppy in the field again, gave them 20 more runs than what they should’ve got. Pretty clinical chase, especially being in trouble early,” Ponting said after the match. The former Australia captain reserved special praise for Shreyas, revealing why Punjab invested heavily in him at the auction and hailing both his leadership and temperament. “The captain, he’s done that all season. That’s his first IPL century tonight. We’ll celebrate that and then we’ll sit around and wait for those results tomorrow,” he said. “There’s a reason I spent as much money at the auction as I did a couple of years ago (on Iyer). He’s a ripping guy, very mature player now, very mature leader. More often than not keeps his emotions in check on the field. The respect he has from his players is second to none.” Ponting also highlighted the influence Shreyas has inside the dressing room, saying the PBKS players completely buy into their skipper’s leadership. “The moment he stands in front of the group and speaks, not a single eye ball leaves a single word he says. Delighted to work with him. Really happy on the season he’s had,” Ponting added. The PBKS coach also backed Shreyas for a bigger role in India’s white-ball setup in the future. “Great to see him back in the Indian one day team. I really think there’s a bigger, brighter future for him in the Indian T20 team as well,” he stated. Punjab’s victory lifted them to fourth place with 15 points from 14 matches, although their playoff hopes still depend on results elsewhere. Rajasthan Royals face Mumbai Indians on Sunday, and PBKS need Rajasthan to lose to stay in the top four. Ponting admitted Punjab’s dramatic dip in form after a strong first half of the season had hurt their campaign. “The level of cricket we played in the first half was a level I’ve never seen before. And then we just made some crucial errors at different times in the last six games,” he said. The Australian great also praised Prabhsimran Singh for continuing his impressive season and credited the young opener’s growing self-belief. “Terrific player. It’s probably only been the last couple of years that he has realised how good he is. Him and Priyansh have been outstanding for us the last couple of seasons. Seeing him play a mature innings tonight in a good run chase will do him a world of good,” Ponting said. With Punjab’s fate now dependent on Sunday’s results, Ponting revealed the squad would be closely following the remaining playoff-deciding fixtures. “We’ll try to get the boys together and watch it (the RR-MI game),” he concluded.
