Mumbai: After working closely with Shreyas Iyer At Punjab Kings, where the duo formed a successful captain-coach combination in the last two IPL Seasons – PBKS reached the final of IPL last year and crashed out of the playoffs this time – Former Aussie captain Ricky Ponting Naturally delighted for their franchise skipper, he backed India’s selectors to appoint him T20 captain for the 2026 Asian Games tours to Ireland and England later this year.“It’s really a great recognition of what he has done in the last three or four years. I mean you rewind the clock of IPL cricket to three years ago. Obviously he won the title there captaining KKR. You know he captained our team Punjab in the final last year and did a fantastic job captaining our team again this year, but still that’s not the most important thing for me. It’s how he conducted himself. and how he has handled himself over the last three or four years. As there is, I’m sure there may have been times when he felt he probably should have been picked in some of the other Indian teams that he has, but he always comes back to work. He’s put his head down and he’s worked really hard and he’s a much better player now than I think he was four or five years ago.“I have been endorsing him for the role and telling the Indian selectors that if they give him a chance, I don’t think he will be disappointed. Like I said, it’s a huge achievement. It’s a great recognition of the hard work he’s put in over a long period of time, and I’m sure he’ll do a great job as India’s captain,” P added.Ponting felt that Iyer had improved as a captain over the years.“And he’s definitely a better captain now, a better leader, and probably a wiser and better person now. So yeah, I think it’s a great recognition. I think he will do very well.”“And when you think about some of the other candidates, I mean it goes to full credit that he is the captain now because there are so many other great players in India. We know that there are so many great players in this current Indian team. And this team has had great success in the last few years. So to have him as the captain, I think it’s a great honor,” P.The former Australia captain revealed that Iyer is a highly motivated individual and did not need many pep talks, even when the batsman was being overlooked for India’s T20 team despite his good performances in the IPL.“I don’t need to have a lot of pep talks with him. He’s a very self-motivated person. He wants to be the best player and the best leader he can be. If he’s playing for Mumbai, if he’s playing for Punjab Kings, if he’s playing for India. He just wants to be the best version of himself that he can be. So, it’s not a secret,” Ponting said.Explaining why he chose to “go hard” for Iyer in the IPL auction a few years ago, where Punjab Kings spent Rs 26.75 crore to buy him, Ponting said, “I have said this for the last two years. And that’s the reason, you know, when I took over as coach of Punjab, because I worked very hard. Shreyas Ayer is in the auction because I wanted to work with him again. And I knew he was the best person at the auction to take our franchise forward.”“So I have a long history with him, we’ve had some good times together. You know, we also talk a lot about his batting, not just his captaincy, but we also talk a lot about his batting and making sure we’re getting his batting right and he’s scoring enough runs.”“And he’s done it, you know, in the last two years. We’ve come back together in the Punjab Kings. He has done it very well,” he said.Ponting said he would soon hold a congratulatory chat with Iyer, in which he would give him an idea of what the coveted job entails.“So, yeah, I’m absolutely excited for him. Now that it’s official, I’ll actually call him and have a chat with him and congratulate him and make sure he gets the most out of it and understands the magnitude of the role he’s been given,” Ponting said.Asked if he would be able to repeat the success he achieved as captain of the Punjab Kings – taking the franchise to the IPL final last year and narrowly missing out on a play-off berth this season – Ponting replied, “Yes, no doubt. I think he will get a lot of respect from all his teammates. And that’s a big part of the last couple. Not everything is going exactly the way he wanted, not only did he return to the (Indian) team.” But also worked in the team and as a captain.“So I think, look, he’s in a great place to captain India right now because he’s at the top of his game. And like I said, he’s also at that age now where he’s just understanding himself and understanding what leadership is. And his personal form has been very good, I believe. He’s scored 600 (604 runs) in 17 matches and is close to 50 this year. (At 55.33 498 runs in 14 matches) so he is also batting well,” Ponting said.“He’s someone who likes big moments, big plays. Even when we’re (PBKS) chasing a run, he’s usually the one who stands tall at the end and takes the pressure off and gets us off the line,” he said.Ponting felt that Iyer’s ability to deliver in difficult conditions convinced the selectors of his ability to lead India in T20Is.“I think that’s probably one of the big things that the Indian selectors have noticed, the way he’s handled himself under pressure. Because it’s, you know, when you’re the captain of India, it’s a high-pressure job. And I think, you know, more often than not, Shreyas has always found a way to play well in those big moments of pressure. So I think as a player, he will be fine,” Ponting said.“No, he was very calm. We are all disappointed at the end of the season. The way we started and then not qualifying was a disappointing end to the tournament for us. But see, whenever Shreyas speaks, everyone listens. When he has something to say around the team, his teammates don’t take their eyes off him. So I think he grew into it. He has grown up year by year. He has become a really good leader. So am I surprised by this? No, I’m not actually. I’m not surprised by it at all,” Ponting said when asked how Iyer responded to Punjab Kings losing six matches in a row in IPL 2026.
‘We Knew It Was Coming’
“At Punjab Kings, we are all very happy and excited. We knew it was coming. We saw that he has all the qualities of a great captain – calm, cool and the way he approaches the game. He is born to be a captain,” said Punjab Kings CEO Satish Menon. Shreyas’ father Santosh Iyer was naturally delighted, especially as his son managed to make the long journey after suffering a life-threatening spleen injury while taking a catch during the third ODI against Australia in Sydney in October last year. “We are very happy. We are very happy with the hard work he has done. After that injury and all, it was a big blow for him. Yes, last year’s injury. Yes, he was injured. And that too was dropped. He was not selected in T20. But the competition is so big that you can’t even complain. All players are good. They are all good,” Iyer told this newspaper.Santosh said Shreyas was disappointed to be dropped from India’s T20-team last year, but he “doesn’t take heart.” “Yes, he was a little disappointed, but he’s a good boy. He doesn’t think. He takes everything positively, and he starts working on it again. That’s his plus point, he doesn’t cry, he doesn’t say, I’m not selected, it’s okay, I didn’t test, I’ll work harder.”Former India batsman and coach of Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Parveen Amre has been coaching Iyer since the age of 12, when the Mumbai batsman started learning cricket at Shivaji Park Gymkhana’s Cricket Academy. Over the years, Imre has seen many ups and downs as a batsman. “The support of the team management was very important and I am sure he will also do what is expected. Team India. And in his journey, especially I was always behind him as his coach. As a leader, I think they find their way. Credit goes to him because leading an IPL team is not easy. He has shown that the support he gets from teammates is crucial. He has earned the trust of his peers, which is important as a leader. Sometimes you have to be fair (as a captain), and I think he has always done that. Whenever there are important games, he leads from the front, be it his batting or his fielding. His fielding has also improved over the last few years which is significant. As a leader, I think his awareness of the game has improved a lot,” praised Amre.“He has worked hard to get here, and with the support of his team, I think he will come out with flying colours. I am sure he can do it,” added Amre.Amre feels that Iyer’s vast experience in the IPL is in his favour. International “He’s got more than 10 years of experience playing in the IPL now, and that really counts in international white-ball cricket. Team India has always supported him, which shows that he’s India’s one-day vice-captain. So, I think that’s really helped him. For any player, it’s always an honor to lead the Indian team.” He addedAmre said he was anticipating Iyer’s promotion to India’s T20 captaincy. “He is the vice-captain of Team India (in ODIs). So he was basically in their scheme.”
