Punjab Kings (PBKS) skipper Shreyas Iyer delivered a captain’s knock under pressure to guide his side to a thrilling five-wicket win over Mumbai Indians (MI) in IPL 2025 Qualifier 2, setting up a mouth-watering final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). Chasing 204 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Iyer remained unbeaten on 87 and anchored the chase with remarkable composure, earning praise from all quarters — including his head coach, Ricky Ponting.
After the match, IPL posted a heartwarming video of the captain-coach duo sharing a light-hearted but insightful conversation. Ricky Ponting kicked things off with his trademark wit, saying, “Well, we’ve got the coach with the winning captain. That’s right, yeah, halfway mark.” Shreyas quickly interrupted with a smile, “Winning coach with the winning captain!”
Ponting moved on to tactics, asking Iyer whether the pitch was playing above or below par. Iyer responded confidently, “Even bounce, the ball came on nicely. Personally, I felt it was a 220 wicket.” That comment reflected just how well he had assessed the conditions — and executed the chase accordingly.
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Ponting then asked about the mindset behind his calm innings, especially as wickets tumbled around him. Iyer, still in his post-match zone, said, “I felt I was seeing the ball really well. Wherever they pitched it, I felt like I could clear the ropes.”
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The duo also discussed a turning point in the game — Josh Inglis smashing 20 runs off Jasprit Bumrah’s first over. “That gave us momentum and belief. Inside the dressing room, we all felt — this is on,” Shreyas Iyer said.
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Ponting acknowledged the team’s journey to the final, but Iyer remained grounded. “Job’s not done yet. We need to stay in the present. If you start thinking about the future, you drain your energy. Right now, it’s about recovery and coming back stronger.” Ponting wrapped up the conversation with admiration: “If you keep playing like this, this team is going to be hard to beat.”
