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Former Australia captain and the head coach of the Punjab Kings, Ricky Ponting, explains how he helped Shreyas Iyer to become a successful captain. Ponting’s comments came hours after the BCCI’s squad announcement, in which they appointed Shreyas Iyer as the full-time captain for the T20 International format.
Shreyas Iyer will have to fill a massive void as he has taken his new position in the place of the 2026 ICC T20I World Cup-winning captain, Suryakumar Yadav. After all the hard work Iyer has done over the years, Ricky Ponting believes Iyer deserves the leadership role in the national side.
Rickey Ponting and Shreyas Iyer become an unforgettable duo in the Indian Premier League
Ricky Ponting and Iyer share a close bond with each other. They first worked shoulder to shoulder as a tactical duo during their stints with the Delhi Capitals. Iyer was appointed as the Delhi Capitals captain in 2018 after Gautam Gambhir's resignation in the middle of the IPL season that year.
Replacing a seasoned campaigner like Gautam Gambhir was not an easy task for Shreyas Iyer. But he did it precisely with the help of Ricky Ponting. The combination of Iyer and Ponting took the team into the play-offs in back-to-back seasons in 2019 and 2020 before the duo reunited at Punjab Kings for a second stint together.
They took the Punjab Kings to the final
The partnership proved effective again when they took the Punjab Kings to the IPL 2025 finals. They started the 2026 campaign on a strong note as well before being eliminated from the group stage by only a few points.
Despite the elimination from the group stage in the IPL 2026, there is no debate over Iyer’s leadership qualities. Punjab Kings, the team that had been struggling for years to make their way into the finals, transformed drastically as soon as Iyer joined as the captain and Rickey Ponting came on board as the head coach.
I've been the one endorsing him for the role: Ponting
In a recent interview, the former Australia captain claims that he asked the Team India selectors to show their trust in Iyer.
“I've been the one endorsing him for the role and telling the Indian selectors that if they give him a chance, I don't think they'll be disappointed," Ricky Ponting was quoted as saying by the Times of Times.
Ponting says that becoming the captain of India is a great achievement for Iyer; it comes as a reward for the continuous hard work he has done for a long time. The Punjab Kings head coach confidently says that the 31-year-old will definitely bring success to the Indian cricket team as the captain.
“As I said, it's a great achievement. It's terrific recognition for the hard work he has put in over a long period of time, and I'm sure he'll do a great job as captain of India," he added. Iyer will debut as the Team India captain during India’s away T20I series against Ireland in the last week of June.
Read More: "Great feeling": Shreyas Iyer breaks silence after being appointed as India's T20I captain
