Jaipur, May 27 (IANS) Punjab Kings batter Shashank Singh credited head coach Ricky Ponting and skipper Shreyas Iyer for change in belief, culture, and leadership after the side guaranteed a top two finish in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season.

It was a night of celebration for the Kings after they beat Mumbai Indians to inch closer to their goal of lifting the title. But for Shashank, the real celebration, he said, would be on June 3.

The win over MI propelled PBKS to the top with 19 points, although Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) can also go level with them if they win their final group-stage match against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).

“Finishing in the top two is half-job done. The full job will be done on the 3rd of June, I guess. When late at night, at 12 o’clock, we will have a press conference. That will be the time I’ll tell you that ‘yes, we are at the top of the world’,” Shashank said in the post-match press conference.

“It feels surreal, to be very honest. It feels really good, really satisfying. The best thing is (that) we manifested as a team – as a team, not individually me, but as a team. When the auctions were done, we had a group on WhatsApp and we had conversations. So we manifested that this year we will win the title. Our first aim was to finish in the top two and obviously we have passed that hurdle.

“But manifesting is one thing, believing is [another]. So we worked hard. The credit goes to the management, the support staff, literally every single individual. Not only players and coaching staff, but everyone who is associated with us. We had four-five camps before the IPL, and you can see the results. We are in top two, and it’s not easy in a league like IPL to finish in top two.”

Because it’s Punjab Kings — one of only three original teams without an IPL title to date — the media asked whether they were already feeling like champions. Shashank replied without hesitation.

Securing a top two finish ensures PBKS a spot in Qualifier 1 of the playoffs, giving them the cushion of a second opportunity even if they lose the first game. While it’s a significant edge in their quest for a maiden IPL title, Singh cautioned the team against getting complacent.

“Not at the top of the world (yet). What we have believed is yet to come. So this is something where we really enjoy each other’s success. If we had not qualified in the top two, we would have still been happy we have qualified. But again, it’s the half-job done. What Shreyas said in the last meeting (was) qualification is half-job done.”

And that’s when he delivered the quote he began with: “The full job will be done on the 3rd of June, I guess. When late at night, at 12 o’clock, we will have a press conference. That will be the time I’ll tell you that ‘yes, we are at the top of the world’.”

Shashank did not hide his admiration for captain Shreyas Iyer — his long-time friend — and coach Ricky Ponting. “Shreyas is a very dear friend. I know him for the past ten-15 years. Playing under him, he being the captain, is one of the best things to have happened to me, to be very honest,” Shashank said.

“The way he gives freedom to everyone — not only me, but everyone, 25 of them, plus support staff, plus the people who are in the content team, media team, logistics, everyone — is something very appreciable about him.”

“And the way he has developed a culture in the Punjab Kings side — obviously we love each other, we care for each other; that was the main motto of Ricky sir and Shreyas (on) day one that we had the meeting, that we need to maintain a culture, we need to care for each other, and obviously result will take care of itself.”

Shashank reserved special praise for Ponting as well: “(Ponting) has changed the team culture, he has changed our mindset, changed our belief. So all those things, the credit has to go to him, because obviously, he is the one who changed our perspective towards the game. Day one he told us, he and Shreyas told us, (that) they will treat Yuzi Chahal, maybe our most senior player, and our bus driver the same. They have maintained this. This says a lot about the team.”

The team will now miss Marco Jansen, one of only six players — and the only overseas one — to have played every game for PBKS this season. Jansen will leave for the World Test Championship final.

–IANS

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