Punjab Kings' (PBKS) skipper Ricky Ponting introduced captain Shreyas Iyer, new-ball bowler Arshdeep Singh, and all-rounder Marcus Stoinis in a unique way during their practice session on Monday, March 17, Monday. The franchise uploaded a video of the same as the former Australian captain was standing in the middle and the players were standing around him in a circle.
Shreyas and Arshdeep were part of the Men in Blue's Champions Trophy 2025 squad as India clinched their third title by defeating New Zealand in the final in Dubai.
Shreyas particularly played an integral role in their campaign, finishing as India's highest run-getter with 243 runs, including half-centuries against Pakistan and New Zealand. The right-handed batter also played useful knocks in the semi-final against Australia and the final against the Black Caps.
Speaking in a video uploaded by PBKS on X, Ponting said about Shreyas:
"Captain and one of the players of the ICC Champions Trophy, Shreyas Iyer."
Turning his attention to Arshdeep, Ponting stated:
"Another member of the victorious Indian team in the ICC Champions Trophy, Arshdeep Singh."
Lastly, the Tasmanian said the below about Stoinis:
"And the man who about three weeks ago was still the No.1 T20 all-rounder in the world Mr. Marcus Stoinis."
Marcus Stoinis, who returned to his former franchise, was initially included in Australia's Champions Trophy 2025 squad. However, the seam-bowling all-rounder retired from one-day cricket, days before the tournament began.
"It is going to be more dynamic" - Ricky Ponting on Punjab Kings

During an interview with ESPN Cricinfo last year after being appointed as the coach, the 50-year-old promised that people would see the franchise differently than they have before.
The two-time World Cup-winning skipper stated:
"The biggest thing that I want to do at Punjab Kings is make everyone aware that it's going to be a different place. We are not going to sit back and just accept mediocrity and finishing down the bottom and have other people sit back and talk about the way the franchise is going. It is going to be more dynamic. And people are going to be talking about this team and this franchise in a different way than ever before."
The Punjab Kings, who haven't reached the playoffs since the 2014 edition, will open their 2025 campaign against the Gujarat Titans on March 25 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
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