Ponting: This might be the most memorable win I've ever experienced as an IPL coach

Ricky Ponting, head coach of Punjab Kings (PBKS), hailed his team’s stunning 16-run victory over Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) as possibly his best ever in the IPL. PBKS successfully defended just 111 runs in Mullanpur on Tuesday—the lowest total ever defended in IPL history.

Having coached in the league since 2014, Ponting said the win could be a "season-defining moment."

“My heart rate’s still up—it must be over 200,” Ponting joked after the game. “At my age, I can’t take too many more like that. Just a few days ago, we failed to defend 245, and now we’ve defended 111. That shows how unpredictable this game is.”

He praised the bowlers for adapting well to the pitch, which offered variable bounce and made scoring difficult. “[Yuzvendra] Chahal was exceptional tonight. He had a shoulder niggle from the last game, passed a fitness test earlier today, and told me, ‘Coach, I’m 100% ready.’ What a spell he bowled.”

Ponting also highlighted strategic changes, like giving the new ball to Marco Jansen and Xavier Bartlett instead of Arshdeep Singh. “The match-ups favored Jansen and Bartlett, and we needed to try something different.”

Despite admitting that PBKS’ batting and shot selection were subpar, Ponting said he was proud of how the team responded in the field. “Even if we had lost, I’d still be proud. We showed energy, belief, and intent with the ball and in the field. That second half could define our season.”

Chahal’s match-winning four-wicket haul came after proving his fitness pre-game, which Ponting said showed his commitment and mental strength.

PBKS skipper Shreyas Iyer was visibly emotional after the win lifted the team to fourth on the points table. “I can’t really put it into words,” Iyer said. “I was just trusting my instincts. I told Yuzi to control his breathing, stay calm, and we’d get the wickets. These kinds of wins help a lot at the end of the season.”

Iyer himself was dismissed for a duck but defended the team's total, saying he noticed variable bounce during his brief time at the crease. “One ball stayed low, another shot up. Other players couldn’t connect well either. That helped us understand 111 might be defendable, and we asked our bowlers to stick to stump-to-stump lines—and they executed brilliantly.”

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