'If Iyer Is There At The End, We Will Win': Ponting Hails PBKS Skipper After Record Chase

(MENAFN- IANS) New Delhi, April 26 (IANS) Punjab Kings head coach Ricky Ponting heaped praise on skipper Shreyas Iyer, calling him a great leader and backing his ability to finish games after PBKS pulled off a record-breaking chase of 265 against Delhi Capitals (DC) at Arun Jaitley Stadium on Saturday.

Ponting revealed his strong belief in Iyer's finishing ability, stating that the team draws confidence simply from his presence at the crease in a chase.

“He's a great person. And that's the reason that I went as hard as I did in the auction. I knew he was going to be a great leader and for us to rebuild this team and rebuild this franchise,” he said in a video released by IPL on X.

“Because one thing I know is that if he's in at the end in a run chase, we're not going to lose too many games. And even tonight, I went out at the 11 12 over mark. I just grabbed hold of him and said, if you're in at the end, we'll win the game. And he did it again,” He added.

Chasing a daunting 265,PBKS rode on explosive starts from Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya before Iyer anchored the innings with a composed unbeaten 71 off 36 balls to seal victory with seven balls to spare.

Ponting further highlighted Prabhsimran's partnership with Priyansh Arya, noting how their contrasting styles helped PBKS maintain control of the chase.

“And the partnership that he (Prabhsimran) and Priyansh have together is pretty amazing. They complement each other really well. Left hand, right hand. Both hit different parts of the ground.”

While praising the batting unit, Ponting acknowledged there are still areas for improvement, especially in fielding and bowling, despite the big win.

“It's satisfying that you've got the highest run chase, but to have the highest run chase, you've also got to concede a lot of runs. So we've got some work to do with our bowling and our fielding, and we'll make sure we get that right before the next game,” he said.

He also expressed satisfaction with the development of young opener Prabhsimran Singh, who is continuously proving his worth by playing match winning knocks for the team.

“When you become a coach, and you work with younger-type players, it's nice to hear that he's saying that I'm having some sort of influence on the way he's playing. But it's also nice to hear that they're listening to the things that you want to teach them. At the end of the day, I'm a teacher. I'm trying to teach him how to play the game better and how to bat better. Thankfully, he's listening and getting the job done,” he added.

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