'We have some of the best young Indian talent' - Ricky Ponting lauds Punjab Kings scouting efforts

Punjab Kings completed a successful IPL 2025 auction on 24th and 25th November in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, finding the right balance of Indian and international talent among their ranks. The franchise adopted a fresh approach under the new head coach, Ricky Ponting, building a new-look squad blending the best talent available in the auction. 

With Indian players Arshdeep Singh, Shreyas Iyer, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Harpreet Brar, the team assembled experienced campaigners with vast experience in the Indian Premier League. Quality international players Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, and Lockie Ferguson add to the Indian core.

Talented young domestic players, Suryansh Shedge, Pyla Avinash, Musheer Khan, Harnoor Pannu, Pravin Dubey, and Priyansh Arya,  were recruited, keeping the long term in mind. The extensive scouting effort from the team was vital in identifying the future Kings.

Head Coach Ricky Ponting credited the hard work of the management that went into the auctions behind the scenes. "We have brought some of the best young Indian talent into our group, which is very exciting. So, our scouts have done a great job and worked really hard and well to make sure that the auctions go exactly how we wanted them to," Ponting added.

Ponting also explained why the franchise targeted Australian international stars at the auctions. "We have (a few Australians) and I'll probably get some criticism. I think we have got five Aussies out of our complement of eight overseas. But when you look at the slots that we needed, the players that we have got fitted into those roles perfectly," he said.

"To have Marcus Stoinis and Glenn Maxwell back to Kings is huge as they have both played here in the past. A couple of new guys, including Xavier Bartlett, Aaron Hardie, and Josh Inglis, are coming into the IPL for the first time, which is also really exciting for us," he stated.

The former Australian captain is also thrilled to have some quality all-rounders, as he believes they will add balance and stability to the team. "So we have many world-class all-rounders with Azmatullah Omarzai, Marco Jansen, Hardie. So it's worked out really well. I couldn't be happier. I mean, everyone's going to walk away saying that they are really happy with their auctions, but I think the overall feeling around our table and certainly what a lot of the Punjab fans are saying is that they are really happy with the job that we have done so far," Ponting remarked.

Reflecting on the auction and how it panned out, Ponting expressed his excitement with the outcome. "Extremely happy (with the auction). We had a great day one, securing some of our bigger-name players and some of our most expensive players. But we knew day two was probably even more important," he said.

"We had more slots to fill and some important ones as well. We came into this auction thinking that, with the amount of money we would spend, we might get 20 or 21 players. But we have got a full quota,  including eight overseas players," Ponting added.

Mincing no words, Ponting made the intentions for the coming season clear once again. "I am (ready for the season) now. Now, that's all the hard work is done really. For the auctions, there's a lot of hard work that's gone into the two days of the auction. We've got the players. Now, it's over to me and the other coaching staff to make sure that when we get there in March sometime, that we are ready to go on and win the IPL."

The CEO of Punjab Kings, Satish Menon, also shared his thoughts on the assembled squad. He sent out a clear message to the fans, expressing that the team will be heading into the new season with high hopes.

"It's been a wonderful auction for us. I think we got most of the players we wanted and more than what we wanted. We are definitely going into the season with very high hopes. I am keeping my fingers crossed. We have got a great bunch of young kids including players from Punjab including Nehal Wadhera. I do not think we could have asked for much more. I sincerely thank all the fans and we look forward to seeing all of you watching us bring home the trophy this time," he concluded.