IPL 2025 Auction: PBKS Boss Ricky Ponting Reveals, 'Tried to Call Shreyas Iyer But He Didn't Answer'
Ricky Ponting also opened up on on Punjab Kings's plans when asked if Shreyas Iyer would be the new PBKS captain.
Rishabh Pant surpassed Shreyas Iyer to become the costliest buy in IPL’s history with a Rs 27 crore winning bid from Lucknow Super Giants as the latter went to Punjab Kings for Punjab Kings shelling out Rs 26.75 crore at the mega auction in Jeddah on Sunday.
Iyer, who captained the Kolkata Knight Riders to the title earlier this year, and Delhi Capitals’ icon Pant, reaped the benefits of making themselves available at the auction following differences with their respective teams.
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Iyer was the first one to surpass Mitchell Starc as the IPL’s most expensive buy with cash-heavy PBKS before Pant overtook the fellow Indian by attracting Rs 25 lakh more from LSG.
Delhi Capitals expectedly enabled the Right To Match to buy back Pant at Rs 20.75 crore but LSG raised the bid to Rs 27 crore and the former decided against matching that amount.
Punjab Kings head coach Ricky Ponting, speaking to the media at lunch break on Day 1 of the auction, revealed that he had not gotten in touch with Iyer.
“I haven’t spoken to him yet, Shreyas, about it. I tried to call him before, but he didn’t answer his phone. So I mean, I’ve worked with him in the past. He’s been a successful captain in IPL before. I’ve worked with him for three or four years at Delhi, and obviously, he’s a championship-winning captain from last season. So we’ve got someone there that can do the job if that’s the way we decide to go. So I’m delighted to have him back and to be working with him," Ponting said.
Ponting also mentioned Iyer’s recent hundred for Mumbai in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
“He’s come off a good score yesterday as well and get 130 off about 50 balls yesterday. So if he can do that for us in the IPL, I think we’ll all be pretty happy," Ponting said.
Ponting even clarified that since PBKS got Iyer, he did not go the extra mile for Pant.
“I haven’t got him. I got the other one," Ponting said as Shashwat Goenka looked on.
“I mean Rishabh. Everyone knows what Rishabh can do. Everyone knows his value to the game. Everyone knows his value to a team. He’s a dynamic player. He’s got an infectious attitude. He loves the game. He’s a winner. So they’ve done well to secure someone like that," Ponting said.
(With inputs from Agencies)
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