Ricky Ponting branded Punjab Kings’ 16-run win towards the defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders — the place PBKS efficiently managed to defend 111 runs, the bottom whole that has been defended in IPL historical past — as “nearly the very best win that I’ve ever had” as a coach within the event. Ponting’s presence in IPL dugouts as coach stretches again to 2014.
Ponting, although, admitted that he didn’t want too lots of such nerve-wracking video games “at his age”.
“The center charge nonetheless up a bit for me – it’s in all probability up over 200. I don’t want lots of these video games like that at my age of over 50 now,” Ponting instructed the host broadcaster with a smile quickly after the sport led to Punjab’s favour.
“It simply goes to point out how humorous a sport it’s. Solely three days in the past we couldn’t defend 246 [245] and right here we’re, defending 112 [111] with 16 runs up our sleeves. We truly mentioned to the fellows on the midway mark that basically small chases like this are typically the toughest. The wicket wasn’t straightforward. You’ll be able to see proper by means of the sport it was holding up.”
The architect of Punjab’s victory was Yuzvendra Chahal, who ended with figures of 28/4. His victims included Rinku Singh, skipper Ajinkya Rahane, Ramandeep Singh and KKR’s prime scorer on the evening, Angkrish Raghuvanshi.
Rinku Singh of Kolkata Knight Riders walks again after being stumped out on a supply from Punjab Kings’ Yuzvendra Chahal in an IPL 2025 sport. (Photograph: Sportzpics for IPL)
Ponting revealed that Chahal needed to bear a health take a look at earlier than the sport.
He mentioned: “What about [Yuzvendra] Chahal tonight! How good a spell of bowling was that! We’ve truly put it on him a bit throughout the week. He had a health take a look at earlier than the sport immediately along with his shoulder harm that he picked up within the final sport and I grabbed him on the warm-up, appeared him within the eye and mentioned, ‘Mate, are you OK?’ He mentioned, ‘Coach, I’m 100% alright, let me on the market’, and what a spell of bowling.”
