EXCLUSIVE| ‘Great recognition of hard work’: Ricky Ponting hails Shreyas Iyer’s rise as India T20 captain

Ricky Ponting, Shreyas Iyer MUMBAI: Having worked closely with Shreyas Iyer at Punjab Kings, where the duo formed a successful captain-coach combination during the last two IPL seasons – PBKS reached the IPL final last year and narrowly missed out on the play-offs this time – former Australia captain Ricky Ponting was naturally delighted with his franchise skipper and backed him to captain India’s T20 team. Ireland and England as well as the 2026 Asian Games later this year.“It’s a really big credit to what he’s done in the last three or four years. I mean you turn the clock back three years in IPL cricket. He obviously led KKR to the title there. You know, last year he captained us, Punjab, in the final and this year he’s done a great job as captain of our team again, even though he didn’t get into the qualifiers, which for me is the highlight and how he’s at his best. Over the last three or four years, he’s dealt with himself, I’ve sure there were probably times when he felt he should have been selected for the few other Indian teams he has but he always got back to work.was made official. “I was the one who backed him for the role and told the Indian selectors that if they give him a chance, I don’t think they will be disappointed. Like I said, it’s a great achievement. It’s a wonderful recognition of the hard work he’s done over a long period of time and I’m sure he’ll do a great job as India’s captain,” Ponting added.Ponting felt that Iyer has improved as a captain over the years.“And he’s definitely a better captain now, a better leader and probably a more mature and well-rounded person now. So yeah, I think it’s a great recognition. I think he’s going to do a great job.”“And when you think about some of the other candidates, I think it’s a credit to him that he’s the captain now because there’s a lot of other great players in India. We know there’s a lot of great players in the current Indian team. And this team has had a lot of success in the last few years as well. So to make him captain, I think it’s a great recognition and a great reward,” Ponting said.The former Australian captain revealed that Iyer is a highly motivated individual and that he did not need many motivational talks even though the Indian T20 side was overlooked despite doing well in the IPL.“I don’t have to give him too many pep talks. He’s a very motivated person. He wants to be the best player and the best leader he can be. That is 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’t be. So Ponting it’s secret.Explaining why he decided to go for Iyer in the IPL auction a couple of years ago, where the Punjab Kings spent Rs 26.75 crore, Ponting said: “I’ve been saying this for the last couple of years. And that’s the reason, you know, when I took over as coach of Punjab, the reason I went to the auction with him again is because of S. I knew he was the best person in the auction to take our franchise forward.”“So I have a long history with him. We’ve had some great times together. You know, we talk a lot about his batting as well, not just his captaincy, but we talk a lot about his batting and making sure his batting is right and he’s getting a lot of runs.”“And he’s done it, you know, the last couple of years. We were together again at Kings of Punjab. He’s done it really well,” he said.Ponting said he will have a chat with Iyer soon to give him an idea of ​​what the coveted job entails.“So yeah, I’m absolutely thrilled for him. Now that it’s official, I’ll actually call him and talk to him and congratulate him and make sure he gets the most out of it and understands the massive role he’s been given,” Ponting said.Asked if Iyer would be able to replicate 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 spot this season – Ponting said: “Yes, without a doubt. I think he will have a lot of respect from all his teammates. And that’s exactly the big part of what he hasn’t earned in the last couple of years.” wanted, worked his way not just back into the (Indian) team, but back into the team and as captain.“So I think, look, he’s in a great place now to captain India because he’s at the top of his own game. And like I said, he’s also at that age now where he understands himself and understands what leadership is about. And his personal form, I believe, has been great as well. He’s made 600 (604 runs in 17 matches, 3 again last year, around 50. (498 runs in 14 matches at 55.33) so he was batting pretty well as well,” said Ponting.“He’s someone who likes big moments, big plays. You even remember that whenever we (PBKS) were in a rush, he was usually the one who stood tall at the end and soaked up the pressure and got us over the line,” he said.Ponting felt that Iyer’s ability to deliver in crunch situations 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 looked at is how he’s handled himself under pressure. Because it’s, you know, when you captain 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 pressure moments.”“No, he was very calm during that. We’re all disappointed with the end of the season. Getting to the top, which we did, and then not being able to qualify was disappointing for us at the end of the tournament. But look, whenever Shreyas speaks, everyone listens. His teammates keep their eyes on him when he has something to say, why he’s grown in the team.” He grew up to be a really good leader. No, I’m not surprised at all actually,” Ponting said when asked how Iyer reacted when they lost six matches in a row in IPL 2026.

‘We Knew It Was Coming’

“We are all very happy and excited at Punjab Kings. We knew it was coming. We saw that he has all the qualities of a great captain – He is calm, cool and the way he approaches the game. He was born to be a captain,” said Punjab Kings CEO Satish Menon. Shreyas’ father Santosh Iyer was naturally delighted, especially as his son was able to come a long way after suffering a life-threatening spleen injury while catching during the third ODI in Sydney against Australia last October. “We are very happy. We are very happy for the hard work he has done. It was a big blow for him after the injury and everything. Yes, last year’s injury. Yes, he got injured. And he was also dropped. He was not selected for the T20. But the competition is so big that you can’t complain either. All the players are good. They are all good,” Iyer told this paper.Santosh said Shreyas was disheartened when he was dropped from India’s T20 team last year, but he is “not thinking”. “Yes, he was a bit disappointed, but he’s a good boy. He doesn’t think. He takes everything positively and starts working again. That’s his plus. He doesn’t cry. He doesn’t say I wasn’t selected. It’s okay, I didn’t get tested. I’ll work harder.”Former India batsman and ex-Delhi Capitals and Mumbai coach Pravin Amre has been coaching Iyer since the age of 12 when the Mumbai batsman started learning cricket at the Shivaji Park Gymkhana Cricket Academy. Over the years, Amre has witnessed many ups and downs of the batter. “The support of the team management has been very important and I am sure he will also do the job that is expected from Team India. And in this journey of his, especially I have always stood behind him as his coach. As a leader, I think he will find his way. He deserves credit because it is not easy to lead an IPL side. He has shown that the support he gets from his teammates is sometimes very important. A hematologist who his team trusts is sometimes very important. (as a captain) and I think he always he’s done whenever the games are important, he leads from the front, whether it’s batting or his fielding, which is important, I think his game awareness has improved a lot.“He has gone through tough tasks to get here and with the support of his team I think he will come out on top. I am sure he can do it,” added Amre.Amre felt that Iyer’s extensive IPL experience weighed in his favour. international “Now he has experience of playing in IPL for more than 10 years and that really counts in international white-ball cricket. The Indian team has always supported him and that shows that he is India’s ODI vice-captain. So I think that has really helped him. It is always an honor for any player to lead the Indian team.” he addedAmre said he expected Iyer’s elevation as India’s T20 captain. “He is the vice-captain of Team India (in ODIs). So he was basically in their plan.”“I met Shreyas for the first time in my life at our team’s pre-season camp in Dharamsala, three weeks before IPL-2025. I chatted with him for about 15 minutes. And within 15 minutes of meeting him, I could tell he was a natural-born leader. Fortunately, I’m a leader in what I do, so I’ll tell him later, before I tell him later, I’ll tell him, captain!” she smiled at me, I said, ‘When that day comes, remember what I said!,’ Punjab Kings co-owner Ness Wadia told TOI.“I mean he has been captain in IPL for nine years now. 2027 will be his 10th year as IPL captain! IPL is the premier cricket tournament in the world at the highest level. I have a lot of respect for Surya – he is a great player and captain but Shreyas will also be a good captain (India T20),” added Wadia.