Cricket 2026: Fans in awe as IPL star spills the beans on game

Ricky Ponting's influence at the unbeaten Punjab Kings is being hailed by his players and fans after a seven-wicket win against the Mumbai Indians cemented top spot on the IPL table. Arshdeep Singh starred in Punjab's latest victory and the paceman says a pre-game chat with the Aussie cricket legend was behind his dazzling display at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium.

Arshdeep took 3-22 to help keep the home side's total below 200 after the visitors won the toss and sent Mumbai in to bat. An unbeaten ton for Quinton de Kock (112 no off 60 balls) and a 50 (off 31) to Naman Dhir helped Mumbai finish on 6-195. But the visitors chased down the target with 21 balls to spare after match-winning knocks from Prabhsimran Singh (80 no off 39) and in-form skipper Shreyas Iyer (66 off 35).

But Punjab's fourth-straight victory was set up by a brilliant bowling display from Arshdeep, who admitted he was down on confidence before the game. The fast bowler starred in India's T20 World Cup victory earlier this year but had struggled to replicate that form in the IPL. But he said a pre-game chat with coach Ponting helped him rediscover his devastating best against Mumbai.

"It feels good and it goes back to having a chat with Ricky," the left-armer seamer said after the game. "I told him the ball didn't feel right when it left the hand. The chat was nothing technical, but he told me I was expecting too much from myself, coming off from a high of the World Cup win, and said you can't maintain that all the time."

Ponting's words of wisdom had the desired effect as Arshedeep removed dangermen Ryan Rickelton and India captain Suryakumar Yadav with a devastating spell of swing bowling in his second over. He later clean-bowled Sherfane Rutherford with a brilliant yorker when the ball was reverse-swinging to complete his three-wicket haul.

Aussie quick Xavier Bartlett (0-39) didn't grab a wicket but pitched in with two catches for Punjab. The second came after an outrageous piece of fielding from Iyer on the boundary rope to remove Hardik Pandya. The influential Punjab skipper took a magnificent mid-air catch, before throwing the ball back in-field to Bartlett before he crossed the boundary rope.

Shreyas Iyer in superb run of form under Ricky Ponting

Iyer then starred with the bat alongside wicketkeeper-opener Singh as the pair both hit half centuries to set up victory. It leaves Punjab top of the standings after four wins from five matches, with one of them ending in a no result from a wash-out.

Kings fans are hailing the leadership of Ponting and Iyer, who the coach brought to Punjab last year before making him captain this season. It's proven an inspired move from the Aussie cricket legend, with Iyer taking his game to another level under the added responsibility.

Iyer has hit three half centuries and made 203 runs in his four innings for the Kings so far this season, averaging 67.66 with a strike rate of 187.96. And the incredible form of the India white-ball star has helped the undefeated Kings cement their status as the team to beat in 2026, having finished runner-up in last year's IPL final.

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