'Surprised' - PBKS Coach Ricky Ponting On Shreyas Iyer, Pant's Entry To IPL 2025 Mega Auction

Ricky Ponting shared his honest reaction on IPL 2025 retention release [Source: @Rishabhians17/X.com]

In an unexpected development, big names such as Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer, and KL Rahul were not retained by their respective franchises for the upcoming IPL 2025 season. Punjab Kings (PBKS) head coach Ricky Ponting recently admitted being surprised to see many star Indian players entering the mega auction.

The October 31 deadline for impending IPL 2025 retention was full of surprises. As all 10 franchises unveiled their retention list, a few omissions raised eyebrows. 

For instance, IPL winning captain Shreyas Iyer was released by defending champions KKR, whereas LSG parted ways with skipper KL Rahul. DC also ended its association with star wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant as all these three big names of Indian cricket will enter the mega auction scheduled for later this month.

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Ricky Ponting surprised with Pant, Iyer, Rahul's retention snub

Meanwhile, Punjab Kings’ newly minted head coach Ricky Ponting was speaking to ICC when he shed light on recent events. Ponting revealed that he was surprised to see these many snubs of Indian cricketers. 

Moreover, to see experienced players like Iyer, Pant, and Rahul entering the mega auction was something Ponting didn’t expect. However, he admitted that IPL franchises are in the midst of a strategic shift, and he is excited to witness what the mega auction has to offer.

"I’m a bit surprised with some of the non-Indian retentions if you like, with both Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant being available in the auctions," Ponting told ICC.

As for PBKS, they retained only two uncapped players, Shashank Singh and Prabhsimran Singh, and will enter the auction with a remaining purse of whooping INR 110.5 crores and 4 RTM cards. Ricky Ponting parted ways with Delhi Capitals to jump ships to PBKS and aim for a complete makeover.

Irfan Pathan backs Shreyas Iyer after KKR ouster

KKR made the most shocking decision of not retaining captain Shreyas Iyer who led the team to a title victory in IPL 2024. Former cricketer Irfan Pathan was livid with the decision and called out KKR’s act of disrespect on social media. Pathan opined that it is KKR’s big loss to lose Iyer and it will cost them deeply in the IPL 2025 season.

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