Follow UsFormer Australian skipper and coach of Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), Ricky Ponting, revealed PBKS’s strategy during the 2025 IPL auction in The Howie Games podcast with Mark Howard.
“There were three players that I wanted to bring in,” Ponting said.
“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 [Chahal]. So the Indian guys that we have are perfect.”
Notably, PBKS spent the majority of their 100 crore plus purse on these three players. Iyer was the second highest buy of the auction with PBKS spending 26.75 crore on the former Delhi Capitals skipper, who had spent time with Ponting in that camp.
Meanwhile, Arshdeep and Chahal were bought for 18 crore each, making them amongst the costliest buys in the auction. Once PBKS and Ponting procured these three, it was easy for them to accumulate the others in the squad as the team was built around them.
“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 things different and rebuild and have the right people around me. But these three were non-negotiables,” Ponting concluded.
Ponting also talked about the fanfare he witnesses in India, and said that the crowds have gotten to know him much better over the years, especially after his playing career since he spends a lot of time in India during the IPL and as a commentator.
“You appreciate it more when you understand how much it means to them,” Ponting said about his fandom in India.
“There are people of all different ages. I think doing commentary gigs in India has allowed a lot of that, as I have spent a lot of time in the country now. I have also been able to work with a lot of players who have talked reasonably highly about me in the media. I think people have learned a lot more about me since my playing days.
"When you’re in India, on most flights or when you check into a hotel, there are so many people around trying to have a picture or they wish to grab your bag to drop into your room. But it’s part and parcel of an Australian cricketer’s life when you visit India.”
The IPL 2025 season is beginning from March 21.