Punjab Kings batter Shashank Singh was happy when he was asked by a reporter about the podcast he recorded before the start of the IPL 2025 season. His saying in that podcast with journalist Shubhankar Mishra has become true. Shashank had predicted that Punjab Kings would finish in the top two of the points table, and they did, ending the league with 19 points from 14 matches as well.
“It feels surreal. Finishing in the top two is not easy in a league like the IPL. To be very honest, it’s very satisfying,” Shashank said when talking about his podcast prediction coming true.
PBKS have finished in the top two of the points table for the first time since 2014. After years of struggling for consistency, they finally found their rhythm in IPL 2025 under Shreyas Iyer’s captaincy and Ricky Ponting’s guidance as well.
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“The best thing is, obviously, we manifested this as a team – not just individually, but as a unit. Right after the auction, we created a WhatsApp group and talked about winning the title this year. Our first aim was to finish in the top two, and we’ve cleared that hurdle. But manifesting is one thing, and believing is another. So, we believed, we manifested, and then we worked hard. Full credit to the management, the support staff, everyone – every single individual contributed,” he added.
Shashank Singh also credited PBKS’ success in IPL 2025 to the positive dressing room environment made by Ponting and Iyer. He also said that everyone in the team, from star players to the team bus driver, has been respected and made to feel part of the family as well.
“That was the main motto of Ponting sir and Shreyas from Day 1. We spoke about creating a culture where we care for each other, and obviously, the results will take care of themselves. He changed everything: the culture, the mindset, the belief. He’s the one who changed our perspective. He made sure that we built that culture. On the first day, he and Shreyas told us that we would respect Yuzi Chahal, probably our most senior player, and the team bus driver with equal respect. This is the culture they have built,” Shashank Singh concluded.
