Ahead of their crucial clash with Mumbai Indians, Punjab Kings skipper Shreyas Iyer set the tone in a team meeting with a clear message.
“Qualification is half the job done. Finishing in the top two is half the job done,” Shashank Singh revealed, quoting Iyer. That mindset proved prophetic, as PBKS went on to defeat MI in Jaipur and secure a spot in Qualifier 1.
Head coach Ricky Ponting echoed that sentiment after the match, underscoring the team’s unfinished business.
“It’s a great achievement so far, but really, we haven’t accomplished anything yet,” Ponting told the host broadcaster. “From the moment we qualified, I reminded the players that the real goal was always to finish in the top two. We’ve done that. This group has enjoyed every bit of the journey over the last ten weeks, but we’ve got one more week to go.”
For a team reaching the IPL playoffs after 11 long years, such a grounded mindset may seem unusual—but it reflects the strong clarity, belief, and culture driving this PBKS unit.
“The job will be complete on June 3rd,” Shashank added. “Around midnight, after the final, when we face the media—then we’ll truly feel we’re on top of the world.”
While success seems imminent, the significance of the moment isn’t lost on Shashank, whose finishing prowess has been vital to PBKS this season.
“It feels surreal, to be honest,” he said. “But the most satisfying part is that it was a team manifestation. Right from the auctions, we created a WhatsApp group and kept discussing our goal: to win the title. The first milestone was finishing in the top two, and we’ve cleared that.”
“Manifesting is one thing, but believing is another,” he added. “We believed in this. We worked hard. And the credit goes not just to the players or coaches, but to the entire PBKS ecosystem—from the management and support staff to everyone behind the scenes.”
PBKS’s preparation, which included four to five training camps before the tournament, laid the foundation for their consistency.
Shashank also praised the leadership duo of Shreyas Iyer and Ricky Ponting, who had previously worked together at Delhi Capitals.
“Shreyas is not just a great captain but a close friend. I’ve known him for over a decade, but playing under his captaincy has been the best thing that’s happened to me,” Shashank said.
“He gives everyone freedom—not just players, but even the support staff, media team, and logistics crew. That’s something rare and admirable.”
He credited both Shreyas and Ponting for instilling a culture of care and respect within the team.
“From the very first team meeting, their focus was on building a culture of caring for each other. The results followed naturally.”
Calling Ponting the best coach he’s played under, Shashank placed him in the same league as Brian Lara.
“Ricky sir has changed our mindset, our culture, our belief. He made sure we respected everyone equally—from Yuzvendra Chahal, our senior-most player, to the team bus driver. That says everything about this team’s values.”
Ponting, for his part, made it clear that bringing Shreyas into the squad was a priority.
“I was really keen to reunite with him,” Ponting said. “I think it was obvious how much I valued him during the auction. We had a great relationship in Delhi, where he led us to a final.”
“Shreyas is a quality individual. When you’re trying to change a team’s culture, you need quality people. If you asked any player in our squad, I think they’d all speak highly of him. He knows when to encourage and when to challenge. That’s what makes him a great leader.”