Ricky Ponting’s Tactics Questioned In Brutal PBKS Prediction: ‘They Can’t Win IPL Because…’ (Source: BCCI/IPL)
Punjab Kings (PBKS) have been one of the most inconsistent teams in IPL; however, with Shreyas Iyer taking charge as captain, they have looked a formidable force in the ongoing edition. With five wins, three defeats, and a washout against KKR, PBKS are placed fourth in the IPL points table.
Could this be the year when PBKS break the hiatus and claim their maiden IPL trophy? They do have the team capable of winning the IPL, but former India cricketer Manoj Tiwari feels it won’t be possible if PBKS coach Ricky Ponting doesn’t stop his bizarre experiments.
Tiwari was upset at the PBKS coach for trusting overseas players like Glenn Maxwell, Marco Jansen, and Josh Inglis over Indian stars like Nehal Wadhera and Shashank Singh. Wadhera and Shashank have played a few good knocks for the team in IPL 2025, while Maxwell has been terribly out of form. Against KKR, Ponting had a chance to send the India stars up the order after they got a 120 run opening stand, however, he sent Maxwell, Jansen and Inglis, a move that backfired as all the three batters failed to contribute much, resulting in PBKS finishing at 201-4, way below what it looked at the halfway mark.
“My gut feeling says that Punjab team will not be able to win the #IPL trophy this season because what I saw today when they were batting was, the coach didn’t send Indian inform batters Nehal wadhera and Shashank Singh, instead he trusted his foreign players to deliver, but they coudn’t and clearly showed lack of confidence in Indian players down the order. If he persists in this way, then the title is far from them irrespective of their qualification in the top two,” wrote Tiwari on X.
Meanwhile, PBKS would have hoped to defend the target against a struggling KKR, but rain played spoilsport and the match was called off after just one over in the KKR innings. Earlier, 69 by Priyansh Arya and 83 by Prabhsimran Singh helped PBKS get off to a blazing start.
