Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer had something significant to say in the team meeting before their clash against Mumbai Indians.

“Qualification is half job done, finishing top-two is half job done,” Shashank Singh revealed Shreyas Iyer as saying at a team meeting. PBKS went on to beat MI in Jaipur and seal a place in Qualifier 1.

Shreyas’ words reflected head coach Ricky Ponting’s thoughts after the game as well.

“I mean yeah, it’s a great achievement till now, but really, if you look back, we haven’t achieved anything yet,” Ponting told the host broadcaster. “That’s the one thing I’ve been saying to the players since the moment we qualified. The vision for me was always to finish in the top two, and we’ve got there now. It’s a really happy group and we’ve enjoyed our time in each other’s company for the last ten weeks, but we’ve got another week to go yet.”

This mindset may seem unusual for a team making the playoffs after 11 years, but it highlights the clarity and confidence in the current PBKS setup.

“The full job will be done on the 3rd of June, I guess,” Shashank added. “When, late at night, 12 o’clock, we’ll have a press conference. That will be the time I’ll tell you that, yes, we are at the top of the world.”

Still, the moment is not lost on the 33-year-old, whose finishing skills have been crucial to PBKS’s campaign.

“It feels surreal, to be very honest,” Shashank said. “I mean, it feels really good, very satisfying. And the best thing is, obviously, we manifested as a team. Not individually me, but as a team we manifested. When the auctions were done, we had a group on WhatsApp and then we had conversations. So we manifested that this year we will win the title. Our first aim was to finish in the top two and obviously we passed that hurdle.

“But again, manifesting is one thing, believing is another. So we believed, we manifested, and then we worked hard. We worked hard for this. And again, the credit goes to the management, the support staff, literally every single individual associated with Punjab Kings. Not only the players or the coaching staff, but everyone who is associated with us.

“We had four to five camps before the IPL and then you can see the results. I mean, we are in the top two and it’s not easy in a league like the IPL to finish in the top two.”

Shashank also had high praise for Shreyas and Ponting, a pair that has clicked once again since their time together at Delhi Capitals.

“Shreyas is a very dear friend. I’ve known him for the past ten to fifteen years. But playing under him, with him being the captain, it was the best thing that has happened to me, to be very honest,” Shashank said.

“I mean, the way he gives freedom to everyone, not only me but to everyone in the team. And when I say everyone, it’s all twenty-five players, plus the support staff, the people in the content team, media team, logistics, everyone. The way he gives them freedom is something very appreciable about him.

“And the way he has developed a culture in the Punjab Kings side. Obviously, we love each other, we care for each other. That was the main motto of Ricky sir and Shreyas from day one, when we had the meeting. That we need to maintain a culture, we need to care for each other. And obviously, results will take care of themselves.”

Shashank called Ponting the “best coach” he has played under.

“I have mentioned two names before. Brian Lara, sir. And now I am mentioning Ricky Ponting, sir. Because he has changed the team culture. He has changed our mindset. He has changed our belief,” he said. “By far, the best team coach I have ever played under.

“Because obviously he is the one who changed our perspective towards the game. Culture, what I said. Caring about each other. Respecting each other. I mean, it’s very easy to say all these things. Obviously, you need to do this, you need to do that. But again, building it is a different thing. So he made sure that he built it. On day one, he and Shreyas both told us that they will treat Yuzi [Yuzvendra] Chahal, maybe the most senior player, and our bus driver the same. I mean, this is something. And they have maintained this. They have given the same respect to Yuzhi Chahal as they have to our bus driver. So this says a lot about the team.”

It is no surprise then that Ponting spoke candidly about how much he wanted Shreyas in the side.

“I was pretty keen to work with him again,” Ponting said. “It was pretty obvious how much money I was willing to spend on him at the auction. We had a great working relationship in Delhi. We made a final in Delhi under his captaincy.

“I’ve known him as a person and as a player for a long time. He’s a quality person, and when you’ve got quality people around your team, when you’re trying to make a difference and you’re trying to change culture, that’s what you need. If you spoke to the players individually, I think every single one of them would give Shreyas a great rap because he has spent a lot of time with them.

“He’s pumped them up, he’s given them a pat on the back when they needed it, and he’s given them a kick in the pants when they’ve needed it as well. Which is a sign of a really good and strong leader.”