Chennai, April 4 – Head coach Ricky Ponting praised Punjab Kings’ (PBKS) opening pair for setting up the chase and also commended the bowling unit after their victory over Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the 7th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Friday.
Ponting said the opening partnership played a key role in laying the foundation for the successful run chase of 210 runs in just 18.4 overs on a high-scoring pitch.
“That was a great game of cricket, and the right team emerged victorious. The run chase was incredibly good, and I was confident at the halfway mark, but if we rewind to the start, it was obviously a very good pitch. I'm really glad that the bowling group tried everything,” Ponting said in a video released by PBKS.
He was particularly impressed with the aggressive intent shown by the openers, Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh, which allowed the team to stay ahead of the required rate from the onset as the team scored 55 runs in just four overs.
“Priyansh, that was some excellent ball striking. That opening partnership, I know Prabh, you probably felt a bit disappointed tonight, because you were probably a little bit caught up in what Priyansh was doing, but one thing you need to know is to keep playing your game. You ended up scoring 43 off 34 balls, which was a great opening partnership that set up the game,” he added.
Ponting said the early momentum gave him full confidence in the batting group during the chase. He also praised Cooper Connolly for his excellent knock.
“Koop (Cooper Connolly) was outstanding again, just coming in and playing his game. The intent to that run chase was amazing. I know when you're chasing 210, you have to go out there and take risks, but after the first six overs, I had full confidence in this batting group and the way we were going to approach it,” Ponting said.
He also highlighted the contribution of the bowlers in a high-scoring match, noting that the team managed to stay in the contest despite a flat pitch. Ponting praised Yuzvendra Chahal, who gave away just 21 runs and took an important wicket.
“I think that's why we won the match. Bowling was a high-scoring game, and UZI, the highest wicket-taker of the IPL, showed us today why he is the highest wicket-taker. Giving 21 runs in three overs in such a high-scoring game is a great achievement, and we both have the caps, so I'm very happy," he said.
Meanwhile, after beating CSK, the 2025 runners-up, Punjab Kings will face three-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on April 6 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.