Punjab Kings' IPL title wait deferred, not derailed, feels Ponting

Punjab Kings may have stumbled at the final hurdle of their spirited IPL 2025 campaign, falling short by just six runs against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in a thrilling title clash at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Tuesday, but head coach Ricky Ponting remained upbeat about the journey and future of his team.

- STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE

After opting to bowl first on a true batting surface, PBKS did well to contain RCB to 190/9 in their 20 overs, thanks to disciplined spells from Arshdeep Singh and Kyle Jamieson, who claimed three wickets apiece. In reply, the Punjab openers Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh gave the chase a fiery start, adding 43 runs in the first five overs. However, a mid-innings wobble set them back and despite a blistering unbeaten 61 off 30 balls from Shashank Singh down the order, Punjab could only manage 184/7.

Though the narrow loss dashed their hopes of a maiden IPL title, Ponting was full of praise for the side's efforts across the season, especially the impact of the younger players in the squad.