Shortly after Punjab Kings' batters orchestrated another demolition of the opposition bowlers, I couldn't help reflecting on a famous quote about batting.
The quote, "His batting is about getting on the front foot and putting the back foot on the opposition's throat!", was written by famous journalist Jarrod Kimber to describe a dynamic batter, and it could have been any of PBKS' batters, given they all have the same mentality.
Except that it wasn't. It was about their legendary head coach who answers to the name Ricky Thomas Ponting. The legendary Aussie was known to be an intimidating batter who could throw any bowler off their plans with his mere presence, let alone cricketing skills.
More than a decade since his retirement, Ponting's DNA shines bright in the Punjab Kings batting line-up, which is arguably the most dangerous one in the IPL right now.
They were on the cusp of glory in 2025 but missed out. This year, they look red-hot, and who knows, maybe it is their time?
Having spent a considerably long time at Delhi Capitals, Ponting made his way to Punjab Kings in September 2024 during a time when the Punjab franchise were looking at a massive overhaul. They had only retained two players, both uncapped, which meant a purse of Rs 110 crore approximately.
Ponting had just won the MLC title two months ago with Washington Freedom, and most importantly, had enough experience at IPL level with Delhi Capitals. It's easy to say that a team with such a massive auction purse can build a good team easily, but we know that it isn't all that easy.
Ponting, or 'Punter' he is known fondly across the globe, built his reputation as a batter with a fearless no-nonsense approach, and that philosophy was on show with the way Punjab Kings had their IPL 2025 auction.
For 17 years, PBKS had endured underwhelming auctions, even during times when they had a massive purse. However, 2025 was different.
Firstly, there was a core Punjabi identity being created. Prabhsimran Singh, one of the retained players, is a Punjabi by native and also as a domestic player. In came Arshdeep Singh as a bowler with immense experience, plus another Punjabi player.
Nehal Wadhera, who had a good time at Mumbai Indians and a domestic Punjab superstar also came in, as did his domestic mates in Harpreet Brar and Harnoor Singh.
While not exactly from Punjab, the northern flavour provided by Delhi's Priyansh Arya and veteran Haryana spinner Yuzvendra Chahal added to the nativity factor.
Mind you, these were all excellent picks primarily, apart from giving that Punjabi vibe to the franchise. They were all aggressive game changers in their own right—whether young or experienced. Of course, they needed a captain with an aura, someone who could lead from the front.
That's where Shreyas Iyer came in, fresh from his success as an IPL-winning captain for KKR in the 2024 season. He became the first title-winning captain to not play for the same team next season, as he was bagged for an astronomical price by PBKS at the auctions.
It helped Ponting and PBKS that the Australian legend had already worked closely with Iyer at DC before the latter's injury in 2021. That injury eventually cost Iyer his captaincy as Pant took over as full-time captain after initially being the stop-gap arrangement.
Iyer's batting, especially against pace and the short ball, has seen a sensational improvement during his PBKS stint. It doesn't come as a surprise, given that Ponting is known as the king of the hook/pull shot—strokes that he could play even with his front foot.
Remember that famous Kimber quote? Well, that was largely about Ponting's hook/pull shots and how he seldom loved to take a step back. Punjab Kings are wired in exactly the same way. Arya and Prabhsimran set the tone, and there is no looking back.
Injuries and some other scenarios have seen them make some changes this year, but it's still been the same core of 2025. Marcus Stoinis, another eternal underachiever for Australia and other franchises, has found his best form under Ponting in Punjab.
PBKS had just Rs 8 crore during the IPL 2026 mini auction and it's understandable, given that they had retained much of the squad that finished runners-up in 2025. The addition of Cooper Connolly has come as a whiff of fresh air, and the southpaw lends stability to the batting.
The number of players that have seen their careers and skill-sets go over the roof under Ponting's regime is a lot. Marco Jansen is another player who has found his best white-ball form under Punjab Kings.
Credit is also due to the PBKS management, who have given Ponting a full license: something that the Aussie allegedly never received at DC, and something that the PBKS owners also seldom gave to their previous coaches.
Currently, it's all looking great for PBKS, and even if they don't win the title this year, it won't be long before they land a title or two. Ponting's boys have laid the foundation in this cycle and success is inevitable, you'd think.