Ricky Ponting Names Three Indian Stars as "Non-Negotiables" for IPL 2025

Legendary Australian cricketer Ricky Ponting, recently made Punjab Kings' head coach, showed that at least three Indian cricketers-Shreyas Iyer, Arshdeep Singh, and Yuzvendra Chahal-are non-negotiable in his scheme of things for IPL 2025. With the IPL mega auction coming to a close, Ponting has straightaway set about trying to rebuild Punjab Kings, with an eye on seeing this team bag their maiden title, and these three players have been identified as cornerstones for the future of that franchise.

Ponting, who has seen great success in his cricketing career, including two World Cup wins with Australia, spoke on 'The Howie Games' podcast about his strategy for the IPL 2025 auction. According to Ponting, he was interested in Shreyas Iyer, Arshdeep Singh, and Yuzvendra Chahal, who are part of a larger plan to build a well-rounded and balanced team. He said that they were very essential to his plan as they are great and help the team improve further.

Shreyas Iyer-The Costliest Purchase

The biggest buy for Punjab Kings in IPL 2025 auction was Shreyas Iyer. He had led Kolkata Knight Riders to an IPL title and had been a consistent middle-order batsman for India, and he came at a massive price of ₹26.75 crore. This made him the second-most expensive player in the auction. Ponting, who had worked with Iyer before, was interested in bringing him to the side and pointed out his leadership experience and consistent performance in IPL cricket.

Ponting said that the team needed a proven success captain and Shreyas Iyer was the man. According to Ponting, Iyer in the squad would bring skill as well as the kind of leadership that would guide this team to success. His statement, "I wanted to bring in a captain who I have worked with before and who has had a lot of success," reflects the confidence of Ponting in the abilities of Iyer to contribute both on and off the field.

Arshdeep Singh-The Next Indian Paceman

The most dramatic moment of the auction was when India's best left-arm pacer, Arshdeep Singh, was in a bitter tussle for his bid. Arshdeep has been brilliant in T20s and has recently overthrown Yuzvendra Chahal to become India's leading wicket-taker in T20I. His performances in recent times were acknowledged, and Punjab Kings, using their Right to Match (RTM) card, managed to retain him for a whopping sum of ₹18 crore. This made Arshdeep the costliest Indian pacer in the history of the IPL auction.

Ponting said that experience with Punjab Kings over the last years makes him a perfect candidate to remain with the franchise. He is such an important player, and the left-arm pacer has brought so much to the team he is playing for, that Ponting wanted to retain him: "Arshdeep has been bowling superbly in powerplay and death overs, so it was an easy decision for me to retain him.".

Yuzvendra Chahal-The Costly Leg-Spinner

Among the more notable buys Ponting made at the auction was that of Yuzvendra Chahal. Perhaps one of the best leg-spinners around to this day, with his wicket-taking ability and finishing well in the middle overs, Chahal had cost the rich ₹18 crore-the most expensive spinner the competition has been seen. It is because Ponting wants him in the side as Chahal has won the IPL earlier as well. He can altogether change the momentum of the game with his variation.

Even though Ponting would like to see a bowling lineup with Chahal's expertise and ability to provide breakthroughs at the critical times, it is going to bring an enormous amount of diversity to the bowling line-up for Punjab Kings, and they might just be slightly more competitive as well against all other teams that will play the IPL.

Long-term Planning of Punjab Kings

It was not about getting the big names on board for the 2025 season. He further showed faith in the younger Indian contingent of the squad by keeping uncapped players like Prabhsimran Singh and Shashank Singh. They go into Punjab Kings' long-term vision to form a team capable of sustaining future success.

Ponting also spoke about the need to focus on Indian players, though overseas players are more of a hype and get bigger bids. International stars may bring in excitement and revenue, but Ponting believes that it is time to strengthen the core of the team with some good Indian talent. His emphasis on Indian cricketers like Iyer, Arshdeep, and Chahal indicates that he wants a balanced team consisting of some of the seasoned internationals as well as fresh talent.

Popularity and Connection with India

As one of the cricketers India treats with great reverence, Ricky Ponting is incredibly popular in India. Talking about his long stay in India, Ponting referred to the affection showered upon him by the fans while coming to India. It does not matter whether they meet him inside flights, at hotels, or while working; Ponting has been approached by people eager to meet the Australian legend. He acknowledged the importance of this bond and insisted that knowing how much it means to the people of India has made him appreciate it more.

Ponting's long history with Indian cricket, through his commentaries and dealings with Indian cricketers, has helped him form strong ties with the Indian cricketing community. The attachment that he enjoys from the player and the crowd alike speaks for his love of the game and admiration for Indian cricket

All said, Ricky Ponting's Punjab Kings strategy for IPL 2025 is about having a very Indian core and non-negotiables of the franchise. That includes Shreyas Iyer, Arshdeep Singh, and Yuzvendra Chahal, whom he'd like to spend on for that balanced competitive outfit that will certainly triumph and take the trophy home.