The Punjab Kings (PBKS) was on a list this season under the captain of Shreyas Iyer, reaching the playoffs for the first time in 11 years. The players made their presence felt between the departments rather than counting solely on the big names, as was often the case in the past. A major factor behind this transformation has been the burning desire in the mind of Shreyas since the 2025 IPL auction.
“From the start, since I was chosen at auction, my desire was clear – the Punjab has not yet won the trophy, and my goal is to help the team raised it for the first time,” said Shreyas during an exclusive interaction with Star Sports.“I want to make fans proud and give them a reason to celebrate – because in the end, we all want to see this emblematic Punjabi celebration,” added the captain of Punjab Kings, who previously won the IPL with KKR in 2024.PBKS head coach Ricky Ponting praised the culture of the team and the way players perform together as a unit. However, he also stressed the importance of staying concentrated rather than being carried away by success.
“When I took the work for the first time, the only thing I said to the owners was – things will be different. But to say that it is one thing; Bringing players to buy is another. They are the ones who really bring the change, not me. I can share ideas, create a culture, but we all have to be there together.
“We have the impression that the boys have joined this, and they have fun. But we have to stay focused. There are still a few weeks in the tournament. We have played the right cricket, but we haven’t achieved anything more. There is still much more to do in a team,” added the former captain in Australia.
Get the 2025 IPL IPL match schedules, the squads, the dots table and the live scores for CSK, MI, RCB, KKR, SRH, LSG, DC, GT, PBKS and RR. Check the last IPL Orange CAP and Purple Cap ranking.
