Punjab Kings (PBKS) head coach Ricky Ponting believes captain Shreyas Iyer is more driven than ever to win the IPL 2026 title after losing the 2025 final to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).

Following a stellar last season where PBKS topped the group stage under Iyer, Ponting noted the skipper's intense desire to take the team one step further.

"The level of play that we saw from him last year with the bat was probably as good as he's ever had in an IPL and I can just see that hunger in his eyes probably burning more than ever now,” Ponting told reporters on the eve of their campaign opener against Gujarat Titans.

"Having got so close as a captain with a new team last year, I'm sure that he's very keen to go one step better this year,” he added.

Ponting, who has previously worked with Shreyas at Delhi Capitals, emphasized that they share identical ideas, often thinking of the same tactical moves simultaneously during matches.

"We've worked together a lot now. We must have had maybe four or five years together at Delhi. When I got this role and realised that Shreyas was going into the mega auction, then I made sure I had enough money in my purse to be able to buy him at the auction," Ponting said.

"I was really keen to work with Shreyas again (and) things worked out really quickly for us last year. We've both got very similar ideas and mantras on the game. It's not uncommon for us to be walking towards one another with a thought in our mind, and we get together and it's exactly the same thing that we go to think about," he remarked.

Ponting said the addition of Australian all-rounder Cooper Connolly significantly enhances the team's tactical flexibility.

He highlighted that Connolly's ability to play in both the top and middle order as a left-hander provides the squad with more balanced batting options compared to the previous season.

"With someone like Cooper Connolly coming into the squad, (it) gives us top order and middle order flexibility being a left-hander as well," Ponting stated.

"Last year, we had Priyansh (Arya) at the top and (Nehal) Wadhera in the middle. Someone like Cooper Connolly gives us a bit more flexibility through that batting order with left-hand, right-hand, if we decide to go that way."

For Ponting, last year’s success holds no weight going into the 2026 season as he emphasized starting from scratch.

"Our level of cricket last year was good enough for us to finish on top of the table, but that doesn't mean anything going into a new season," the former Australian captain said.

"I talked a lot last year about this team that we put together as being different and (playing) a really daring style and brand of cricket, and we've got to start that all over again. It's nil-nil now for everybody," he concluded.

(With PTI Inputs)