Punjab Kings opener Prabhsimran Singh recently shared a candid and heartwarming story about how he found out he was being retained ahead of IPL 2025—and surprisingly, it happened while he was fast asleep. In a conversation on Star Sports Press Room – Punjab Kings for Race To Playoffs, the 24-year-old wicketkeeper-batter revealed that he received a message from none other than Ricky Ponting, just as discussions around player retentions were underway.
Prabhsimran recalled that the call came during the Emerging Teams Asia Cup in Oman, where he was representing India. At the time, Ponting was in advanced talks with PBKS to take over as head coach. The legendary Australian reached out personally to let the youngster know that he wanted him in the squad—an early show of faith from the incoming coach.
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“I was actually asleep when Ponting messaged me,” Prabhsimran Singh said with a chuckle. “It was during the Asia Cup in Oman. I got a call and then a message. He said he wanted me to be part of the team. It felt really special because he remembered my hundred against Delhi Capitals in 2023 when he was coaching them. After that game, he told me I had a bright future. That was our only chat until he called about the retention.”
That endorsement played a key role in PBKS retaining Prabhsimran for ₹4 crore ahead of the 2025 auction. He was one of just two players retained by Punjab, the other being Shashank Singh, signed for ₹5.5 crore.
Prabhsimran, who first joined Punjab Kings as an 18-year-old in 2019, truly made his mark during the 2023 season with 358 runs at a strike rate of over 150. He continued his strong form into 2024, scoring 334 runs at an even better strike rate of 156.81. Those performances cemented his place in the team for 2025.
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This season, Prabhsimran has scored 346 runs in 10 matches, continuing to prove why he’s become an integral part of the Shreyas Iyer-led side—and a name to watch in Indian cricket.
