All posts tagged: Punjab Kings squad

Shreyas Iyer on PBKS getting Cooper Connolly: ‘He wasn’t in our mind at start, but we realised he fit the position perfectly’ | Cricket News

Shreyas Iyer on PBKS getting Cooper Connolly: ‘He wasn’t in our mind at start, but we realised he fit the position perfectly’ | Cricket News

Published by Webster

Last season’s IPL finalists Punjab Kings (PBKS) had a quiet IPL 2026 auction on Tuesday in Abu Dhabi, making only four acquisitions. Having retained the core of the side that reached the IPL final last season, Punjab Kings were not in the auction for too many players to complete their 25-player squad for the upcoming season. The IPL auction saw PBKS secure two uncapped and two capped players, with Australian pacer Ben Dwarshuis emerging as the team’s most expensive purchase this auction. The Kings opened their account with Cooper Connolly, a batting all-rounder from Australia, who was acquired for Rs 3 crore. Connolly is a rising star capable of providing flexibility in the middle order, besides being a reliable slow left-arm spin option. After the auction, Punjab captain Shreyas Iyer, who has faced Connolly in Australia, revealed that the players was not on their radar initially. “Honestly, he wasn’t there in our mind at the start but as we brainstormed and narrowed down our options, we realized he fit the position perfectly,” Iyer said. “He …

‘Was desperate to work with Shreyas again’: Punjab Kings coach Ricky Ponting | Ipl News

‘Was desperate to work with Shreyas again’: Punjab Kings coach Ricky Ponting | Ipl News

Published by Webster

Punjab Kings coach Ricky Ponting sang high praises for captain Shreyas Iyer, saying that he was desperate to work with the Indian batter again after their previous three year stint for the Delhi Capitals. “I was desperate to work with Shreyas again. We had a great working relationship at Delhi over a long period of time. He’s one of the best players that I’ve worked with. He’s a great human being. He’s an IPL winning captain. You couldn’t ask for much more. He’s only joined the camp a couple of days ago. So he’s starting to make his mark on the team as a captain and as a leader,” Ponting said in a recent media interaction. “We’ve put a great squad together. As you know, captain-coach relationship in any team is vital. And I know that we’ve got a really good strong one here,” the former Australia captain added. Story continues below this ad The Australian great also stressed on the importance of winning at home, something Punjab Kings have not been able to do …

Punjab Kings coach Ricky Ponting says Shreyas Iyer, Arshdeep Singh and Yuzvendra Chahal were ‘non-negotiables’ for him

Punjab Kings coach Ricky Ponting says Shreyas Iyer, Arshdeep Singh and Yuzvendra Chahal were ‘non-negotiables’ for him

Published by Webster

Punjab Kings’ head coach Ricky Ponting has explained his reasoning for why he pushed for the franchise to pursue three Indian stars – Shreyas Iyer, Arshdeep Singh and Yuzvendra Chahal – in the IPL 2025 auction. While Shreyas Iyer was picked up for Rs 26.75 crore, Arshdeep Singh and Yuzvendra Chahal cost the Kings Rs 18 crore each in the IPL auction. “There were three players that I wanted to bring in. One who has been at Punjab Kings for three or four years—Arshdeep Singh. I also wanted to bring in a captain who I have worked with before and who has had a lot of success. So, we went after Shreyas Iyer. I also wanted to bring in Yuzi. So the Indian guys that we have are perfect,” Ponting said in a recent episode of The Howie Games podcast. Story continues below this ad “And then, we had to make a few tweaks as the auction went on to make sure we ended up with a really good squad. I am trying to make …

IPL Auction: Punjab Kings assemble a squad to dream of play-off berth | Cricket News

IPL Auction: Punjab Kings assemble a squad to dream of play-off berth | Cricket News

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IPL Auction: It has been the theme of Punjab Kings to opt for a complete overhaul every other IPL season. In the previous mega auctions they formed a strong squad, but the performances didn’t reflect on the field. So they recruited Ricky Ponting as their new head coach and used the two days to build a squad that definitely looks strong on paper with bases covered. Here is the make-up of the squad. Batsmen: Shreyas Iyer, Shashank Singh, Nehal Wadhera, Harnoor Singh Pannu, Priyansh Arya, Pyla Avinash. Wicketkeepers: Josh Inglis, Vishnu Vinod, Prabhsimran Singh. All-rounders: Glenn Maxwell (spin), Marcus Stoinis (pace), Marco Jansen (pace), Harpreet Brar (spin), Azmatullah Omarzai (pace), Aaron Hardie (pace), Musheer Khan (spin), Suryansh Shedge (pace). Spinners: Yuzvendra Chahal, Pravin Dubey. Fast bowlers: Arshdeep Singh (RTM), Lockie Ferguson, Yash Thakur, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Kuldeep Sen, Xavier Bartlett. Early impressions: Can’t but admire the squad they have assembled that can genuinely challenge for a play-off berth. Ponting’s influence in the franchise showed at the auction table as he went big on getting Shreyas Iyer, …