Shreyas Iyer has been leading PBKS from the front in the ongoing IPL.
Chasing 191 to win, Shreyas slammed 72 off 41 balls (5 fours and 4 sixes) to help PBKS overhaul the target with two deliveries to spare.
Although Iyer was dismissed by Matheesha Pathirana in the penultimate over, he had already put his team to the verge of victory, with just three runs needed from eight balls.
Ponting mentioned that, given the high standards Iyer holds himself to, he would likely be disappointed not to stay till the end of the chase.
“I actually think he's taken his game to a new level. He's a more mature player now. I think he understands the game and game situations probably better than ever before. I think that was showcased there tonight, to be able to play the way that he did. He'll be disappointed with himself that he didn't hit the winning runs. He didn't get his team across the line,” Ponting said in the post-match press conference.
“Because I know how much he prides himself on being the man that's there at the end to win games. But look, I love working with him. He talked to all the players. All the players love working with him. The way he communicates with them, whether it's during the game or at practice or back at the team hotel. We've managed to create a really good environment that everybody seems to be really happy in,” he added.
Shreyas Iyer led Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to their third IPL title last season. However, the defending champions released him ahead of the mega auction, where PBKS splashed a staggering Rs 26.75 crore to secure his services — a decision that has paid off so far.
Ponting feels Iyer has grown more mature and shows greater confidence in his on-field decisions.
“He's a lot more confident in himself now than he was. And that comes with experience. I mean, he won the IPL last year as a captain. So when you've done that and you've got that experience behind you and you believe and trust in your own instincts, I think that's the biggest thing with captaincy, especially in a T20 game when everything around you is happening so fast.
“Fours and sixes are flying everywhere. His ability to stay calm on the field. He might not have been that calm tonight when we were a couple of overs late getting through the overs.
"But just his maturity, I think, and that experience. And he knows he's got a good group around him as well. He knows he's got a lot of senior players around him that he can talk to if he needs to. But I think anytime he makes a decision now, he sticks with it and trusts it. And that's a great thing for a captain,” Ponting remarked.
With this victory, PBKS climbed to second spot on the points table. They will next face Lucknow Super Giants in Dharamsala on Sunday (May 4).