Punjab Kings did not buy Shreyas Iyer only for runs. They bought structure, leadership and late-innings control. More than a year after spending ₹26.75 crore on him at the IPL 2025 mega auction, that call is starting to look like the decision that changed the franchise’s direction.
Iyer’s value to PBKS came into sharper focus after their record chase against Delhi Capitals, where Punjab hunted down 265 in 18.5 overs to complete the highest successful chase in IPL history. KL Rahul’s unbeaten 152 had taken DC to 264/2, but PBKS responded through a brutal opening stand and an unbeaten 71 off 36 balls from Iyer, who stayed till the end to close the game. The result gave Punjab their sixth win in seven matches in IPL 2026.
Ponting explains why PBKS went hard for Iyer
PBKS head coach Ricky Ponting, speaking in a video shared by IPL’s official social media handles, said the franchise’s aggressive auction push for Iyer was rooted in more than batting numbers.
“Shreyas is a great person. And that’s the reason I went as hard as I did in the auction,” Ponting said. “I knew he was going to be a great leader, and for us to rebuild this team and rebuild this franchise, because one thing I know is if he is in at the end in a run chase, we are not going to lose too many games,” he added.
Ponting also revealed that during the chase against DC, he had gone out to Iyer around the 11th or 12th over and told him that Punjab would win if he stayed till the end.
“Even tonight I went tonight at the 11 or 12-over mark, and I just grabbed hold of him and said, ‘If you are in at the end, we win.’ We win the game. And he did it again, so full credit to him and full credit to all the boys for believing,” Ponting said.
The words carry weight because of PBKS’ recent history. Before Iyer’s arrival, Punjab were a franchise known for regular change and recurring inconsistency. They finished ninth in IPL 2024 with five wins in 14 matches. Ahead of IPL 2025, they made Iyer their marquee buy, securing him for ₹26.75 crore after he entered the auction with a base price of ₹2 crore.
At the time, the price looked huge. Iyer had just led Kolkata Knight Riders to the IPL 2024 title but was not retained ahead of the mega auction. PBKS, rebuilding under Ponting, saw the opening and pushed hard for a player who gave them two premium assets in one slot: an Indian top-order batter and a proven captain.
The return came quickly. Iyer led PBKS to the IPL 2025 final in his first season with the franchise and scored 604 runs at an average of 50.33. That made him both their leadership centre and one of their most reliable batting forces.
Also Read: CSK vs GT LIVE Score, IPL 2026: Gaikwad returns to form, battling 74* guides Chennai Super Kings to 158/7 in 20 overs
That made the DC chase less of a one-night miracle and more of a continuation of Punjab’s change under Iyer. PBKS have always had power. What Iyer has added is direction. Against Delhi, Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya gave them the launch, but Iyer gave the chase its nerve. Even after being dropped twice, he turned those chances into a finishing act.
Ponting, however, did not ignore Punjab’s problems. PBKS conceded 264, and the head coach admitted the bowling and fielding needed attention despite the historic win.
“It’s satisfying that you’ve got the highest run chase, but it’s… If you have the highest run chase, you’ve also got to concede a lot of runs, right? So, we’ve got some work to do with our bowling and our fielding, and we’ll make sure we get that right before the next game,” Ponting said.
That balance defines PBKS’ current position. Their batting has become dangerous enough to make even 265 feel chaseable. Their bowling still has issues. But with Iyer at the centre, Punjab no longer look like a side waiting for individual explosions. They look like a franchise built around a leader.
Ponting’s auction call was expensive. After IPL 2025 and the early surge in IPL 2026, it also looks deliberate. Punjab did not just buy Shreyas Iyer. They bought a captain who has turned around the fortune of the franchise.