Punjab Kings (PBKS) coach Ricky Ponting is impressed with Shreyas Iyer's evolution as a captain, saying that he is responding to pressure better after having led Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to the IPL title last season.
Ponting has seen that evolution from close quarters, having also worked with Iyer during his stint at Delhi Capitals (DC). Iyer and Ponting had led DC to the playoffs from 2019 to 2021, and even the final
in 2020. Their reunion as captain and coach at PBKS has turned out to be sweet so far, with the team
well-placed for a playoffs spot at the moment.
"He's a lot more confident in himself now than he was, and that comes with experience," Ponting said in his post-match press conference after
PBKS defeated Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at Chepauk. "I mean, he won the IPL last year as a captain, so when you've done that and you've got that experience behind you and you believe and trust in your own instincts, I think that's the biggest thing with captaincy, especially in a T20 game when everything around you is happening so fast.