Punjab Kings batter Shashank Singh hailed Ricky Ponting and Shreyas Iyer for their leadership and culture-building after the team secured a top-two finish in IPL 2025.
The Kings celebrated a vital win over the Mumbai Indians, which pushed them to 19 points and the top of the table.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru could still equal that tally if they beat Lucknow Super Giants in their final league game.
“Finishing in the top two is half the job done,” said Shashank in the post-match press conference. “The full job will be done on the 3rd of June, I guess. When, late at night, we’ll have a press conference. That will be the time I’ll say, ‘yes, we are at the top of the world’.”
Shashank called the moment ‘surreal’ and praised the team’s collective belief.
“We manifested this as a team. After the auction, we had a WhatsApp group and started talking about winning the title. Our first aim was to finish in the top two. We’ve passed that hurdle.”
He credited everyone in the setup.
“We worked hard. The credit goes to the management, support staff, players—every single person. We had four or five camps before the IPL. Now we’re in the top two. That’s never easy in a league like the IPL,” Shashank asserted.
When asked if the Punjab Kings already felt like champions, Shashank replied firmly.
Securing a top-two finish guarantees a spot in Qualifier 1, offering a second chance if the first game is lost.
Still, Shashank urged caution. “Not at the top of the world yet. What we believe in is yet to come. Qualification is half the job done,” he reiterated, echoing skipper Shreyas Iyer.
Shashank praised Iyer’s leadership.
“He’s a very dear friend. I’ve known him for 10–15 years. Playing under him is one of the best things to happen to me,” he remarked.
Shashank highlighted Iyer’s inclusive approach.
He noted, “He gives freedom to all players, support staff, content team, media, and logistics. That’s something I appreciate a lot.”
Shashank reserved special words for head coach Ricky Ponting.
“He changed the culture, mindset, and belief in this team. Day one, he and Shreyas said they would treat Yuzi Chahal and the bus driver the same. They’ve stuck to that. That says a lot about the team,” he stated.
The team will now miss Marco Jansen, one of only six players—and the only overseas one—to play every game this season. He departs for the World Test Championship final.
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