"Lot more to accomplish as a team": Ricky Ponting ahead of IPL Qualifier 1

New Delhi [India], May 29 (ANI): Ahead of the Qualifier 1 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 on Thursday evening, Punjab Kings (PBKS) head coach Ricky Ponting reflected on the culture shift he's driving within the team and the collective hunger to achieve more this season.

The battle for a spot in the IPL 2025 final has intensified as Punjab Kings take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the first qualifier at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur.

"When I first took the job, the one thing I told the owners was -- things are going to be different. But saying that is one thing, getting the players to buy in is another. They're the ones who actually bring change, not me. I can share ideas, create a culture, but we all have to be in it together. That's been my message from day one -- from our baggage guys to our captain -- we're all on the same page, working toward the same goal," Ponting told Star Sports.

"It feels like the boys have bought into that, and they're enjoying themselves. You see it around the team hotel and in the team room -- there's a lot of fun and energy. But we need to keep enjoying it and stay focused. There are still a few weeks left in the tournament. We've played good cricket, but we haven't achieved anything yet. There's still a lot more to accomplish as a team," the 50-year-old added.

PBKS finished the league stage at the top of the points table, having won nine out of their fourteen games. Royal Challengers Bengaluru also secured nine wins in the season and claimed second place based on net run rate.

In their final league match, Punjab Kings outplayed Mumbai Indians with a 7-wicket victory, where Josh Inglis starred with a 73-run knock.

Bengaluru chased down their highest-ever target in the IPL, against Lucknow Super Giants, winning by 6 wickets, with Jitesh Sharma delivering a vital 85-run innings.

Squads:

Punjab Kings: Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Josh Inglis (wk), Shreyas Iyer (c), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Azmatullah Omarzai, Marco Jansen, Harpreet Brar, Arshdeep Singh, Praveen Dubey, Suryansh Shedge, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Xavier Bartlett, Kyle Jamieson, Yuzvendra Chahal, Vishnu Vinod, Yash Thakur, Aaron Hardie, Kuldeep Sen, Mitchell Owen, Harnoor Singh, Musheer Khan, Pyla Avinash.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Philip Salt, Virat Kohli, Mayank Agarawal, Rajat Patidar (c), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Tim David, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Suyash Sharma, Rasikh Dar Salam, Manoj Bhandage, Swapnil Singh, Liam Livingstone, Mohit Rathee, Swastik Chikara, Abhinandan Singh, Josh Hazlewood, Nuwan Thushara, Blessing Muzarabani. (ANI)

(The story has come from a syndicated feed and has not been edited by the Tribune Staff.)