table of contents
Former Australia captain and Punjab Kings head coach Ricky Ponting explains how he helped Shreyas Iyer become a successful captain. Ponting’s comments came hours after the BCCI announced its team had appointed Shreyas Iyer as the full-time captain for the T20 International format.
Shreyas Iyer will have to fill a big void as he takes up his new position in place of 2026 ICC T20I World Cup-winning captain Suryakumar Yadav. After all the hard work put in by Iyer over the years, Ricky Ponting believes that Iyer deserves a leadership role in the national team.
Ricky Ponting and Shreyas Iyer have become an unforgettable pair in the Indian Premier League
Ricky Ponting and Iyer share a close bond with each other. They first worked side by side as a tactical duo during their stint with Delhi Capitals. Iyer was appointed captain of Delhi Capitals in 2018 following Gautam Gambhir’s resignation midway through the IPL season that year.
It was not an easy task for Shreyas Iyer to replace an experienced campaigner like Gautam Gambhir. But he did this with the help of Ricky Ponting. The combination of Iyer and Ponting led the team to the play-offs in back-to-back seasons in 2019 and 2020, before the duo reunited at Punjab Kings for a second stint together.
He took Punjab Kings to the final
This partnership again proved to be effective as they took Punjab Kings to the final of IPL 2025. They also made a strong start to the 2026 campaign before crashing out of the group stage by just a few points.
Despite a group stage exit in IPL 2026, there is no debate on Iyer’s leadership qualities. Punjab Kings, a team that had been struggling to reach the finals for years, underwent a drastic change in the team as soon as Iyer joined as captain and Ricky Ponting came in as head coach.
I am the one supporting him for this role: Ponting
In a recent interview, the former Australia captain has claimed that he had asked the selectors of Team India to show confidence in Iyer.
The Times of India quoted Ricky Ponting as saying, “I’m backing him for this role and telling the Indian selectors that if they give him a chance, I don’t think they will be disappointed.”
Ponting says becoming India captain is a big achievement for Iyer; This comes as a reward for the continuous hard work they have put in over a long period of time. The Punjab Kings head coach confidently says that the 31-year-old will definitely bring success to the Indian cricket team as captain.
“As I said, it’s a great achievement. It’s fantastic recognition for the hard work he has put in over a long period of time and I’m sure he will do a fantastic job as India captain,” he said. Iyer will debut as the captain of Team India during India’s overseas T20 series against Ireland in the last week of June.
Read More: “Very good feeling”: Shreyas Iyer breaks silence after being appointed as India T20I captain