As Shreyas Iyer takes the next leap forward in his cricketing career, his elevation as India’s captain in the T20I format has pleased many, especially those who have worked closely with him. Ricky Pontingwho has worked with Iyer at two franchises – Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings – couldn’t be happier seeing the batter being recognized by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Seeing Shreyas being picked and promoted as the captain of India’s T20I team, Ricky Ponting revealed the conversation he had with Indian selectors about the middle-order batter.
Ponting, who has been a huge admirer of Shreyas for years, revealed that he has been endorsing the batsman to the BCCI selection committee for a long time. To the selectors, Ponting’s message was clear, that they won’t be disappointed if they pick him.
“I’ve been the one endorsing him for the role and telling the Indian selectors that if they give him a chance, I don’t think they’ll be disappointed. As I said, it’s a great achievement. It’s terrific recognition for the hard work he has put in over a long period of time, and I’m sure he’ll do a great job as captain of India,” Ponting told The. Times of India.
Ponting and Shreyas first worked at the Delhi Capitals, when Shreyas led the franchise to the final in the 2020 season. Shreyas then won the IPL 2024 title with the Kolkata Knight Riders before arriving at PBKS. He played an instrumental role in Punjab reaching the final last year, though the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) came out on top.
“And he’s certainly a better captain now, a better leader, and probably a more mature and more well-rounded person now. So yeah, I think it’s great recognition. I think he’ll do a terrific job. And when you think of some of the other candidates, I mean, it’s full credit to him that he’s the captain now because there are a lot of other great players in India. We know there are many great players in the current Indian team. And that team has had great success over the last few years as well. So for them to name him as captain, I think it’s great recognition and great reward,” he added.
With Shreyas now a part of the team, that too as a captain, Ponting had a word of caution for him, to take the new job with utmost seriousness as pressure is extremely high in Indian cricket when it comes to leadership roles.
“So, yeah, I’m absolutely thrilled for him. Now that it’s official, I’ll actually give him a call and have a chat with him and congratulate him and make sure that he makes the most of it and understands the enormity of the role that he’s been given,” Ponting said.
“I think that’s probably one of the big things that the Indian selectors have looked at, just how he’s handled himself under pressure. Because it’s, you know, when you’re captain of India, it’s a high-pressure job. And I think, you know, more often than not, Shreyas has always found a way to play well in those big pressure moments. So I think as a player, he’ll be fine,” he added.
Featured Video Of The Day
IPL 2026 News | RCB Outplay CSK For 2nd Win On Trot, Ruturaj Gaikwad & Co Suffer 3rd Loss
Topics mentioned in this article
