IPL 2025: What’s Next for PBKS After Their Victory?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Punjab Kings celebrate their significant win over Mumbai Indians.
- Ricky Ponting emphasizes the importance of focusing on the playoffs.
- Young talents like Priyansh Arya are making a mark in the tournament.
- The absence of Marco Jansen poses a challenge, but the team has depth.
- Strong team culture and relationships are crucial for success.
Jaipur, May 27 (NationPress) Punjab Kings head coach Ricky Ponting acknowledged that while his team will be celebrating their impressive seven-wicket victory over Mumbai Indians on Monday night, he will also emphasize that their journey is far from complete.
The Punjab Kings demonstrated their strength in the chase, with fifties from Priyansh Arya and Josh Inglis paving the way for a commanding win, securing a place in the top two of the IPL points table, marking their first playoff appearance since 2014.
Ponting reflected on the transformations that have occurred under his leadership this season, beginning with the auction, and credited his dynamic young batting lineup. As a proven winner, he acknowledged the necessity of translating a successful league season into a formidable playoff showing.
“I’m very pleased; a lot of effort has gone into reaching this milestone. It starts from the auction, and for me, a significant aspect was to join a new franchise and make an immediate impact. It’s clear that we have a quality team moving in the right direction. We haven’t accomplished anything yet, and that’s what I’ve been communicating to the players—the big games lie ahead. Prabhsimran is 23-24 and has accumulated 500 runs; I believe Priyansh is one of the standout discoveries of the tournament,” Ponting stated.
“It’s hard to dispute that now. We have fearless young talent who are seeing the ball well and hitting it hard. Our overseas players—Inglis and Stoinis—have been exceptional. Shreyas has performed brilliantly. We are a happy group, enjoying each other’s company for the past ten weeks, with one more game to go. I was eager to work with Shreyas given the investment I made at the auction. Our working relationship in Delhi was strong. He is a remarkable individual, which is essential for building a positive culture,” Ponting added in a post-game interview.
This victory has effectively secured Punjab’s position at the top, thanks to their superior run-rate over RCB, who still have a chance to equal PBKS on points with their upcoming match against LSG on Wednesday.
However, the team is concerned about the absence of Marco Jansen, who will miss the playoffs. Yet, Ponting remains confident in his team’s depth to compensate for the South African pacer, who will be a significant loss for the squad.
“Arshdeep is performing well, and Chahal is expected to return. If you ask the players individually, they will speak highly of Shreyas. We will celebrate tonight as we have done after every game, except for the last one due to the quick turnaround. We have a late afternoon flight tomorrow, and we will adjust our training schedules accordingly. We’ll give players some rest. Jansen is a high-quality individual, and it’s tough to replace him. We got Jamieson in tonight to ensure he played a match before Marco left. Every team is dealing with player absences; we believe we have good depth and can cover for Marco, despite it being a significant loss,” he concluded.