Former England cricketer Nick Knight praises Punjab Kings' strong start in IPL 2025 under captain Shreyas Iyer and head coach Ricky Ponting. Iyer's leadership and key performances by Indian players have been crucial in their victories. Knight highlights the potential impact of overseas stars like Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis, suggesting PBKS is well-positioned for success.
Former England cricketer Nick Knight believes Punjab Kings (PBKS) have found a winning formula in IPL 2025, with the leadership of captain Shreyas Iyer and head coach Ricky Ponting.
After a strong start to the IPL 2025 campaign, where Iyer’s unbeaten 97 off 42 balls powered Punjab Kings to a narrow 11-run victory over Gujarat Titans, PBKS extended their unbeaten streak with a commanding eight-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants, courtesy to Prabhsimran Singh (69) and Iyer's ( 52 not out) fluent half-centuries.
Knight was particularly impressed with how Indian players have stepped up in the team’s two commanding victories so far.
Knight said,
“You look at their team line-up and think they've won two games quite well—this one (against LSG) certainly comprehensively. Overseas players haven't played a major part in that. So (there are) contributions from Indian players. The captain's like a rock. He looks so calm. He looks so authoritative. The team is playing exactly how his mentality is playing out along with the coach Ricky Ponting."
What stands out is how much of PBKS’ success has come from their Indian core. Shreyas Iyer has led from the front, but youngsters like Priyansh Arya, Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, and Prabhsimran Singh have also played key roles. This bodes well for the team, especially since their overseas stars—Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Lockie Ferguson, and Azmatullah Omarzai—haven’t yet had a major impact.
Further he said,
"Maxwell, Stoinis, Ferguson, Omarzai, whoever it's going to be, you know they're going to play a major part, win a game or two and have a major contribution along the line. So you put that in the back pocket and say, 'Well, that's going to happen at some point. So if we're winning games without them, we're in a pretty good place'. That's as much I see from that performance. That is a really confident start for them based on some of their major players yet to make a major contribution."
After win on Tuesday night against LSG, PBKS will look to maintain their momentum and add another victory to their tally when they face Rajasthan Royals on April 5.
IANS