“Rolls-Royce just stayed in third gear” - Ricky Ponting’s massive claim on Shreyas Iyer after LSG vs PBKS IPL 2025 match

Punjab Kings (PBKS) head coach Ricky Ponting lavished praise on his team’s captain Shreyas Iyer for his all-round show against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the IPL 2025 match at the Ekana Cricket Stadium on Tuesday, April 1. The remarks came as Iyer and company restricted the Super Giants to 171 in 20 overs before achieving the target with eight wickets in hand and 22 balls to spare.

Iyer, who smashed an unbeaten 97 off 42 balls against Gujarat Titans (GT), again stayed unbeaten on 52 runs off 30 balls to take the team over the line in Lucknow.

Ricky Ponting said (via the Times of India):

“Skipper (Iyer) did it easy again. Rolls-Royce just stayed in third gear for most of the day. Didn't have to go any harder than that. Just steers the ship home. You haven't got an average yet.”

The former Australia captain was also in awe of Prabhsimran Singh and Nehal Wadhera, who returned with scores of 69 (34) and 43* (25), respectively. He said:

“Prabhsimran, I think you have learned a lot about yourself this week as well. I think you've proved to everyone just what a class act you are. We talk about players making an impact, right? You get an opportunity in a T20 game and it's all about making an impact on the game and on the contest when you can.

"He (Wadhera) only packed one shirt in his bag because he didn't think he was going to be taking much part in the game. He fields the last four overs and then I tap him on the shoulder. When I saw that they'd (LSG) made their impact sub as a left-arm off-spinner, I said, 'Mate, you're going in,'" he added.

Ricky Ponting heaps praise on Punjab Kings bowlers after beating LSG in IPL 2025 match

Ponting further credited the bowling unit for restricting LSG to 171 in the IPL 2025 match. On this, the 50-year-old said in the same interaction:

"Bowling first today, Arshdeep's (Singh) first over goes for three, Lockie (Ferguson) backs it up with an over, goes for four (runs). Two overs in the powerplay 1 for 7. We get through the powerplay, 3 for 35. Four of the overs in power play only went for 13 runs. So in the fifth over, Maxi (Glenn Maxwell) comes on, and then on the back of that, Marco (Jansen). So, Marco bowls the sixth over. He absolutely means it. He ended up with the big wicket of David Miller.”

“The pleasing thing for me about a lot of the things that are happening around the group, it's when guys are coming in and playing their first game or getting their first opportunity; Lockie was the same today,” he added.

Ponting concluded they would keep improving and not rest on their laurels despite back-to-back wins over GT and LSG in their first two IPL 2025 matches.

“Let's not take anything for granted with anything we're doing. Our attitudes have been spot on. We're just starting to scratch the surface. So let's keep working hard together as a family, as one. And we're going to get better every day.”

PBKS will next lock horns with the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in their first home game of IPL 2025 in Chandigarh on Saturday, April 5.