The former Australian skipper has been an instrumental part of the Punjab Kings.
At an event typically dominated by franchise management, player appearances are a rarity. However, the IPL 2026 auction in Abu Dhabi on December 16 will be an exception, with Shreyas Iyer set to represent Punjab Kings at the table in the absence of Ricky Ponting.
The last date to inform the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) about the names of the members who would attend the auction from every franchise was December 10. It was noted that the Punjab Kings have excluded the name of their head coach, Ricky Ponting, from the list submitted to the BCCI. Instead, skipper Shreyas Iyer would be attending the mini-auction.
Ricky Ponting is currently contracted by Seven Cricket as a commentator for the ongoing Ashes 2025 Down Under. To shed more light on the situation, the third Test between arch-rivals Australia and England is set to commence from December 17, a day after the IPL 2026 auction. Hence, there would be no chance of Ricky Ponting being able to fly back to Adelaide in time after attending the event, if he were to.
The runners-up of last season have a limited amount of purse left with them, which amounts to INR 11.5 crore. As per the pre-auction analysis, the franchise can sign a maximum of four players, two of whom can be overseas players, in order to complete their arsenal.
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Well, he almost did last season. After taking over the reins at the Punjab Kings, the Ricky Ponting-Shreyas Iyer duo have taken the club to newer heights.
After being released by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) shortly after lifting the trophy, Shreyas Iyer was signed by PBKS. The Indian middle-order batter became the first captain in the IPL to take three different franchises to the final, after his heroics with PBKS last season.
The franchise has parted ways with Glenn Maxwell, the most high-profile player to be released from last season’s squad. His performances did not portray any promise whatsoever, and it will be a good chance for the PBKS management to find a player who can hit big at the death. However, it would be interesting to see how they manage the auction with the limited purse they have.
PBKS are one of those teams that don’t need to do a lot in the auction. They retained most of their players and have a set playing XI ahead of the 19th edition of the coveted tournament, barring a few spots that they need to fill.
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