Home Cricket News ‘Shreyas Iyer has changed as a person’: Ricky Ponting makes intriguing statement amid IPL 2026

‘Shreyas Iyer has changed as a person’: Ricky Ponting makes intriguing statement amid IPL 2026

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‘Shreyas Iyer has changed as a person’: Ricky Ponting makes intriguing statement amid IPL 2026


Punjab Kings (PBKS) head coach Ricky Ponting praised Shreyas Iyer after the captain delivered another game-winning performance for the team in their IPL 2026 clash against Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on April 16.

The Australian legend said he has seen many great players over the years, but Iyer’s form, confidence and control on the field is on a completely different level at this stage.

Shreyas Iyer’s impressive fifty propels PBKS to dominant win over MI

The MI vs PBKS clash at the Wankhede Stadium was completely dominated by the touring team. Chasing a big target of 196, Punjab Kings finished the match in just 16.3 overs with seven wickets in hand. With this resounding victory, they rose to the top of the points table and remained undefeated.

Iyer led PBKS from the front with a powerful knock of 66 runs off just 35 balls. He hit 5 fours and 4 sixes and maintained the race pace above what was required from the start. It was his third consecutive fifty in the ongoing IPL 2026, which shows how consistent and confident he has been this season.

The highlight of the chase was Iyer’s 139-run partnership with Prabhsimran Singh (80). They completely broke the Mumbai Indians’ bowling attack to help PBKS register their fourth consecutive victory in the tournament, although one game was washed out at Eden Gardens.

Also Read: Rohit Sharma returns as Mumbai Indians captain? Hardik Pandya’s mid-season sacking gets support

Ricky Ponting praises Shreyas Iyer as Punjab Kings continue dream run in IPL 2026

After the dominant win over MI, Ricky Ponting was very impressed with Shreyas Iyer’s overall performance. The head coach said that Iyer is showing great maturity, better planning and full confidence in every situation of the ongoing season.

The Punjab Kings now play with a completely different mentality, and the former Australian captain has given credit to Iyer’s leadership as he is guiding the team perfectly in the moments of pressure.

Ricky Ponting said after the match: “Shreyas Iyer has taken his game to another level. You’ve known him for a long time. You’ve seen him play. You’ve seen him lead. I think every aspect of his game. I think his captaincy is a lot stronger. He’s changed as a person and he’s in total control of his game, and when you’re in chases like that and Iyer’s in the middle, you’re not going to lose too many.

Ricky Ponting hails Shreyas Iyer’s catch as one of season’s best moments

Another wonderful shot from the captain. The atmosphere is really good. This is a game of skill. We work very hard on our skills to make sure that when we are under pressure, we can perform and deliver, and that is what Arshdeep did for us today. Well, the captain, like I said, is in control of his game, his captaincy and his batting.”

Also Read: Ravichandran Ashwin takes Ajit Agarkar to the cleaners over Shreyas Iyer’s poor treatment

The right-handed batsman has also taken a notable catch in this clash. During MI’s innings, Iyer took an incredible relief catch near the boundary to dismiss Hardik Pandya. He showed great presence of mind by throwing the ball in the air to Xavier Bartlett before crossing the boundary, which the PBKS head coach is now calling one of the best catches of the season.

Ponting finished by saying: “That’s one of the best catches I’ve ever seen.”