With the announcement of IPL resumption imminent, Punjab find themselves well-placed with majority of their star Indian and foreign players already in the country and on standby.
Rishabh Pant walked out to bat on Day 2 despite fracturing his toe.
Punjab Kings qualified for the playoffs for the first time in 11 years.
In an interview to PTI ahead of the IPL play-offs, Ponting covered all areas that got the franchise much-needed success. Excerpts from the interaction.
Ricky Ponting opens up on his son's love for the sport
Joe Root is not only inching closer to Sachin Tendulkar's World record tally of 15,921 Test runs, he also has a shot at overtaking Rahul Dravid's record for the highest-ever batting average in India-England Tests.
Khaleel Ahmed met his former coach Ricky Ponting's family, including his children, who screamed and jumped for joy seeing him after the IPL match in Chennai.
The Indian Premier League needs a 12-16 week operating window to match the brand value of top sporting leagues in the world including the NFL, NBA and the English Premier League, reckons Punjab Kings co-owner Mohit Burman.
'But I think if you look at a rebuilding sort of phase, I think India can cope with it better than most other teams'
Punjab Kings' ace spinner Yuzvendra Chahal on Monday missed the IPL 2025 match against Mumbai Indians due to a finger injury.
Nicholas Pooran, who announced his retirement from all international formats on Tuesday, has been appointed as the captain of MI New York in the Major League Cricket
Head coach Ricky Ponting hailed Punjab Kings' incredible spirit and resilience after they pulled off a sensational 16-run win over Kolkata Knight Riders.
Virat Kohli has been with RCB since the inaugural edition of the IPL in 2008, including nine seasons as captain of a franchise that made the finals in 2009, 2011 and 2016 but lost every time.
Even as Punjab Kings suffered their first defeat of the season, it was a heartwarming moment off the pitch that stole the show -- Preity Zinta embracing PBKS skipper Shreyas Iyer in a warm hug that quickly went viral on Saturday.
The leggie was all smiles as he played some confident strokes while passing commentary at his own batting.
Priyansh Arya, a 24-year-old Delhi Capitals batsman, recently made headlines after scoring a blistering century in the IPL.
Punjab Kings Co-Owner Preity Zinta and husband Gene Goodenough were in the stands at the Himachal Pradesh cricket association stadium as they relished the thumping win.
Kohli's Test retirement makes Tendulkar's record of 100 centuries 'safe'
On Thursday, intensified shelling along the Line of Control and reports of drone and missile activity triggered anxiety across IPL camps.
President Droupadi Murmu conferred the coveted Padma awards on 68 eminent personalities, including former Chief Justice of India Jagdish Singh Khehar, dancer Shobana Chandrakumar, actor Anant Nag, and Vice Chancellor of King George's Medical University Soniya Nityanand. The awards were given in various disciplines and fields, including art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, and civil service. The Padma Vibhushan was awarded to Justice (retd) Khehar for public affairs, while nine individuals received the Padma Bhushan. The Padma Shri was awarded to leading immunologist and KGMU VC Nityanand, footballer Inivalappil Mani Vijayan, singer Ashwini Bhide Deshpande, actor Ashok Laxman Saraf, mask maker Reba Kanta Mahanta, and musician Ricky Gyan Kej, among others.
Prabhsimran Singh - Punjab Kings' pint-sized powerhouse whose explosive batting, sharp game sense, and newfound maturity have made him the breakout Indian star of the tournament.
And the Punjab Kings were happy campers while franchise Co-Owner Preity Zinta couldn't contain her joy.
'This was one of those days when I was lucky that I did not know that I would be playing, and it turned out to be lucky for me.'
The job is only 'half done' for captain Shreyas Iyer as he chases a second consecutive IPL title, albeit with a new team: Punjab Kings.
Shubman Gill has struggled for consistency in Test cricket, averaging 35.05 for a tally of 1893 runs in 32 Tests, with five centuries and seven fifties.
Punjab Kings head coach Ricky Ponting expressed disappointment with his team's batting performance in their seven-wicket defeat to Royal Challengers Bangalore in an IPL match.
A rampant Mumbai Indians will present a stern test of character for the rattled Punjab Kings in a virtual semi-final when the two teams face-off in Qualifier 2 of the Indian Premier League in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
Between 2014 and 2019, he scored 21 centuries in just 55 Tests. Among these were seven double centuries, the most by an Indian in Test cricket. Remarkably, six of those double tons came within a span of just 22 Tests.
Preity Zinta, like Punjab Kings, is a fighter. Her disappointment today only adds to the fire for tomorrow. The tears she held back will likely fuel next season's charge. Because if there's one thing the IPL has taught us, it's that passion like hers doesn't fade. It only comes back louder.
Shreyas Iyer's inspiring leadership faces its toughest test yet when Punjab Kings host an equally upbeat Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Qualifier 1 of the Indian Premier League in Mullanpur on Thursday.
Virat Kohli's nearly two-decade long agonising wait to lay his hands on an IPL trophy with Royal Challengers Bengaluru will be up against Shreyas Iyer's resolve to make first-time winners out of the tenacious Punjab Kings.
New 'Captain Cool' in Town: Shreyas Iyer could be the leader India needs
The importance is to win the trophy. There is no pressure (of Punjab having never won the IPL). It is an opportunity, Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer said in a joint media interaction with Head Coach Ricky Ponting.
IPL 2025 recap: From Kohli and RCB conquering final frontier to decline of champions
The political and ideological differences between the Congress and Shashi Tharoor is no longer a matter of whispers.
Arshdeep is happy that he could account for all three in-form batters of LSG in Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram and Nicholas Pooran inside the Powerplay.
Kohli's skill and spikiness on the field reminded many of their own: Australian media
'This is one platform that can help you achieve your goal of playing for India.'
The Australian all-rounder suffered the injury before the team's rained out previous game against Kolkata Knight Riders in which he was dismissed for 7, another failure in an underwhelming season.
Punjab Kings playing different cricket this season: Prabhsimran Singh
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