Ricky Ponting Praises Shreyas Iyers Leadership After PBKS Record Chase
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 Iyers finishing ability, stating that the team draws confidence simply from his presence at the crease in a chase. Hes a great person. And thats 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 hes in at the end in a run chase, were 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 youre in at the end, well 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. Its satisfying that youve got the highest run chase, but to have the highest run chase, youve also got to concede a lot of runs. So weve got some work to do with our bowling and our fielding, and well make sure we get that right before the next game, he said. While praising the batting unit, Ponting acknowledged there are still areas for improvement, especially in fielding and bowling, despite the big win. Also Read: Live Cricket Score When you become a coach, and you work with younger-type players, its nice to hear that hes saying that Im having some sort of influence on the way hes playing. But its also nice to hear that theyre listening to the things that you want to teach them. At the end of the day, Im a teacher. Im trying to teach him how to play the game better and how to bat better. Thankfully, hes listening and getting the job done, he added. Article Source: IANS