Punjab Kings bank on Ponting-Iyer duo for IPL 2025 victory

Punjab Kings definitely presents a different and refreshing look this time around with the no-nonsense Ponting guiding the destiny of this franchise and more importantly trying to discover the badly needed winning formula

HYDERABAD: Will the Australian combo of head coach Ricky Ponting, hard-hitting all-rounder Marcus Stoinis and the free-stroking Glenn Maxwell and Josh Inglis provide the impetus to captain Shreyas Iyer and help Punjab Kings realise the dream of winning a maiden IPL title in the 2025 season starting on March 22?

For a team which struggled to make an impact after making it to the play-offs in 2014 season, Punjab Kings definitely presents a different and refreshing look this time around with the no-nonsense Ponting guiding the destiny of this franchise and more importantly trying to discover the badly needed winning formula.

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There is no doubt Shreyas Iyer carries a huge burden on his shoulder at the crucial No. 3 position in the batting line-up which has the firepower and the capability in taking on any bowling attack if it strikes the wanted rhythm.

Clearly, a lot will depend on how well the seasoned duo of Ponting and Shreyas pool their tactical acumen for the desired results.

It does have a varied bowling attack with India left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh having already made a mark for himself on the international circuit and should be a lethal weapon in the attack in the company of Yash Thakur, Vijaykumar Vyshak.

The presence of one of the most successful spinners in IPL history, leggie Yuzvendra Chahal should only help the team’s cause in the crucial middle-overs for he has the ability to strike the big blows under pressure.

A lot depends on how well the bowlers cope up with the pressure in the death overs as like any team they just cannot afford to leak crucial runs and compound the woes.

One area of concern can be consistency, especially from the domestic pool including Prabhsimran Singh, Shashank Singh to provide the right kind of balance to the batting line-up.

There will be options for sure for the think-tank with the likes of experienced campaigner Lockie Ferguson, Harpreet Brar. Will this IPL season be a different and a more memorable one for Punjab Kings? Only time will tell.