After ten seasons of underachievement, Punjab Kings are finally back in the IPL playoffs—and they’ve done it in style. With all league games now complete, PBKS have finished at the top of the points table in IPL 2025, securing a top-two finish and a spot in Qualifier 1. It’s their first playoff appearance since their 2014 runner-up finish, and insiders point to a sweeping cultural reset as the key driver.
Big bets pay off: Ponting and Iyer lead the overhaul
The seeds of this resurgence were sown at the IPL 2025 mega auction, where PBKS retained just two uncapped players and arrived with the league’s largest purse. They made a statement by hiring Australian legend Ricky Ponting as head coach and splurging to land former IPL-winning captain Shreyas Iyer to lead the side.
The leadership pairing has quickly turned heads—not just for their tactical decisions, but for transforming the team environment.
Shashank Singh credits Ponting for changing the team’s belief
One of the two retained players, Shashank Singh, has been a breakout star this season, thriving as the team’s designated finisher. But beyond his on-field contributions, Shashank has been vocal about the off-field shifts that have made the difference.
“By far the best team coach I’ve ever played. I’ve mentioned two names before, Brian Lara Sir and now I’m mentioning Ricky Ponting sir because he has changed the team culture, he has changed our mindset, he has changed our belief. So all those things, the credit has to be to him because obviously he’s the one who changed our perspective towards the game,” Shashank told media after PBKS’s recent victory over Mumbai Indians in Jaipur.
Culture of respect and equality
Much of the credit for this shift, Shashank says, comes from how Ponting and Iyer approach leadership—with empathy, equality, and a clear focus on respect.
When asked about the cultural transformation Ponting has implemented, Shashank emphasized the emphasis on team unity and mutual appreciation:
“Caring about each other, respecting each other, feeling happy in each other’s performance. I mean, it’s very easy to say all these things and obviously you need to do this, you need to do that. But again, building it is a different thing. So he made sure that.”
He recalled a powerful moment that underscored the leadership philosophy Ponting and Iyer brought from day one.
“Day 1, he and Shreyas, both told us, they will treat Yuzi Chahal, the most senior player, and a bus driver the same. I mean, this is something and they’ve maintained this, they’ve maintained this that they’ve given the same respect to Yuzi Chahal, and they’ve given the same respect to our bus driver. So this says a lot about the team.”
A new PBKS identity takes hold
In a league often dominated by star power and ego, PBKS’s resurgence under Ponting and Iyer offers a compelling counter-narrative. Their focus on humility, team cohesion, and cultural reset—paired with smart recruiting and tactical clarity—has created one of the IPL’s most inspiring stories this season.
With momentum on their side and a new ethos powering the team, Punjab Kings are not just playoff contenders—they’re a franchise transformed.
