![\"EXCLUSIVE|](\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/msid-131553471,imgsize-59082,width-400,height-225,resizemode-4\/mmb-7.jpg\" "\\"Ricky")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nMUMBAI: Having worked in close tandem with Shreyas Iyer<\/a> at Punjab Kings, where the duo formed a successful captain-coach combination over the last two IPL<\/a> seasons \u2014 PBKS reached the IPL final last year and narrowly missed out on the playoffs this time \u2014 Australia\u2019s former captain Ricky Ponting<\/a> was naturally pleased for his franchise skipper and endorsed India\u2019s selectors for appointing him as the T20 captain for the tours of Ireland and England, and also the 2026 Asian Games later this year.\u201cIt’s great recognition of what he’s done over the last three or four years really. I mean, you wind the clock back three years ago of IPL cricket. He obviously captained KKR to a title there. You know, captained us, Punjab, into the final last year and did a terrific job captaining our team again this year, albeit not making it through to the qualifiers. But the thing that stands out most for me about him is how he’s conducted himself and how he’s handled himself over the last three or four years. Like there’s, I’m sure there’s probably been times when he’s felt that he probably should have been picked in a few more Indian teams that he has, but he’s always just got back to work. He’s put his head down and he’s worked really hard and he’s become a much better player now than I think he was four or five years ago,\u201d an elated Ponting told TOI in an exclusive interview on Saturday, minutes after the decision was made official.\u201cI’ve been the one endorsing him for the role and telling the Indian selectors that if they give him a chance, I don’t think they’ll be disappointed. As I said, it’s a great achievement. It’s terrific recognition for the hard work he has put in over a long period of time, and I’m sure he’ll do a great job as captain of India,\u201d Ponting added.Ponting felt that Iyer had improved as a captain over the years.\u201cAnd he’s certainly a better captain now, a better leader, and probably a more mature and more well-rounded person now. So yeah, I think it’s great recognition. I think he’ll do a terrific job.”“And when you think of some of the other candidates, I mean, it’s full credit to him that he’s the captain now because there’s a lot of other great players in India. We know that there’s a lot of great players in that current Indian team. And that team has had great success as well over the last few years. So for them to name him as captain, I think it’s great recognition and great reward,\u201d Ponting said.The former Australia captain revealed that Iyer is a highly motivated individual and that he did not need many motivational chats, even when the batter was being overlooked for India\u2019s T20 side despite performing well in the IPL.\u201cI don’t have to have too many motivational chats with him. He’s a very self-motivated person. He wants to be the best player and the best leader that he can be. That’s 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 be. So, it’s no secret,\u201d Ponting said.Explaining why he chose to \u201cgo hard\u201d for Iyer in the IPL auction a couple of years ago, where Punjab Kings splurged Rs 26.75 crore to buy him, Ponting said, \u201cI’ve said it for the last couple of years. And it’s the reason, you know, when I took over as coach of Punjab, the reason that I went so hard for Shreyas Iyer in the auction is because I wanted to work with him again. And I knew he was the best person in the auction that was going to take our franchise forward.”“So I’ve got 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 that we’re getting his batting right and he’s making plenty of runs.\u201d\u201cAnd he’s done that, you know, the last couple of years. We’ve been back together again at the Punjab Kings. He’s done that really well,\u201d he said.Ponting said he would soon have a congratulatory chat with Iyer, in which he would give him an idea of what the coveted job entails.\u201cSo, yeah, I’m absolutely thrilled for him. Now that it’s official, I’ll actually give him a call and have a chat with him and congratulate him and make sure that he makes the most of it and understands the enormity of the role that he’s been given,\u201d Ponting said.Asked whether Iyer would be able to replicate the kind of success he achieved as Punjab Kings captain \u2014 taking the franchise to the IPL final last year and narrowly missing out on a playoff berth this season \u2014 Ponting replied, \u201cYeah, no doubt. I think he’ll have great respect from all of his teammates. And that’s a big part of it. And I think he’s earned that over the last couple of years. With everything not going exactly the way that he would have wanted to, he’s worked his way not only back into the (Indian) team, but back into the team and as the captain.\u201cSo I think, look, he’s in a terrific place to be captain of India right now because he’s on top of his own game. And as I said, he’s at that age now as well where he just understands himself and understands what leadership is all about. And his personal form has also been great, I believe. He made 600 (604 runs in 17 matches at 50.33) last year. And this year, again, around 500 runs (498 runs in 14 matches at 55.33). So he’s been batting pretty well as well,\u201d Ponting said.\u201cHe’s someone that likes the big moments, the big games. You even think back to whenever we’ve (PBKS) been in a run chase, it’s generally been him that’s been standing tall at the end and soaking up the pressure and getting us across the line,\u201d he said.Ponting felt that Iyer\u2019s ability to deliver in crunch situations convinced the selectors about his ability to lead India in T20Is.\u201cI think that’s probably one of the big things that the Indian selectors have looked at, just how he’s handled himself under pressure. Because it’s, you know, when you’re captain of 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. So I think as a player, he’ll be fine,\u201d Ponting said.\u201cNo, he was very calm right the way through it. We’re all disappointed come the end of the season. Having got off to the start that we did and then not being able to qualify was a disappointing end to the tournament for us. But look, whenever Shreyas speaks, everyone listens. His teammates don’t take their eyes off him when he’s got something to say around the team. That’s why I think he’s grown into that. He’s grown into that year on year. He’s grown into a really good leader. So am I surprised by it? No, I’m actually not. I’m not surprised by it at all,\u201d Ponting said when asked about how did Iyer respond when Punjab Kings lost six games in a row in IPL 2026<\/p>\n \u201cAt Punjab Kings, We\u2019re all very happy and elated. We knew it was coming. We saw that he had all the traits of a great captain- He is calm, cool, and the way he approaches the game. He\u2019s born to be a captain,” said Punjab Kings CEO Satish Menon. Shreyas\u2019 father Santosh Iyer was naturally pleased, particularly as his son had managed to come a long way after suffering a life-threatening spleen injury last year in October while taking a catch during the third ODI in Sydney against Australia. \u201cWe\u2019re very happy. We are very happy for the hard work that he has done. After that injury and all, it was a big setback for him. Yes, last year’s injury. Yes, he got injured. And he was dropped also. He wasn’t selected in the T20. But the competition is so big, you cannot complain also. All the players are good. All of them are good,\u201d Iyer stated to this paper.Santosh said that Shreyas was disheartened when he was snubbed from India\u2019s T20- team last year, but he \u201cdoesn\u2019t keep brooding.\u201d \u201cYes, he was a little disappointed, but he is a good boy. He doesn’t keep brooding. He takes everything positively, and he starts working on it again. That’s his plus point. He doesn’t cry. He doesn’t say, I didn’t get selected. It’s okay, I didn’t get tested. I will work harder.\u2019Former India batsman and ex-Delhi Capitals and Mumbai coach Pravin Amre has been coaching Iyer since he was 12, when the Mumbai batter began learning cricket at the Shivaji Park Gymkhana’s cricket academy. Over the years, Amre has witnessed many of the batter’s ups and downs. “The team management’s backing was very important and I’m sure he will also do the job that is expected from Team India. And in this journey of his, especially I was always right behind him as his coach. As a leader, I think he finds his way. The credit goes to him because it’s not easy to lead an IPL side. He has shown that what support he gets from teammates is very important. He has got the trust of his teammates, which is important as a leader. Sometimes you have to be fair (as a captain), and I think that he has always done that. Whenever there are important games, he leads from the front, whether it comes to his batting or his fielding. His fielding has also improved in the past few years, which is important. As a leader, I think his game awareness has improved a lot,” Amre praised.“He has gone through the grind to reach here, and with the support of his team, I think he will come with the flying colors. I’m confident he can do that,” Amre added.Amre felt that Iyer’s vast experience in the IPL weighed in his favour. international “He has now got the experience of playing in the IPL now for more than 10 years, and that really count in international white-ball cricket. Team India has always backed him, which shows as he’s India’s ODI vice-captain. So, I think that’s really helped him. For any player, it’s always an honour to lead the Indian team.” he addedAmre said he was expecting Iyer ‘s elevation to India’ T20 captaincy. “He is the vice-captain of Team India (in ODIs). So he was in their scheme, basically.”<\/div>\n‘We knew it was coming’
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