Key Points

Iyer's brilliant 87* off 41 balls powered PBKS to chase 204 against Mumbai Indians (MI) in the Qualifier two of the ongoing IPL 2025, pulling off the highest-ever run-chase during a playoff/knockout match in the history of the competition, to book a spot in the final of IPL 2025 against Royal Challengers (RCB), which will be played on Tuesday.

Iyer was a notable absentee when India named their 18-player squad for their upcoming five-match Test tour of England, starting from June 20, and the in-form right-hander has responded by scoring runs and leading the Kings into the IPL final after 10 years. If the Kings manage to win, this will be their maiden IPL title.

Ponting discussed Iyer's absence from India's Test squad and said the in-form middle-order batter had moved on quickly from the disappointment.

"I actually was gutted...but he's accepted that really well and he's moved on. He's just got that real hunger in his eyes to do well every time that he plays for us here and wants to win games of cricket and wants to evolve and develop into the best leader and captain that he can be," Ricky Ponting said.

Iyer was one of India's best performers during India's run to the finals in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 and was the side's leading run-scorer at the Champions Trophy earlier this year.

He has also scored plenty of runs recently against the red ball at the first-class level in India, and Ponting thought that strong form would have seen Iyer win a recall to the Test side.

"Certain other players that have been picked in that (Test) squad have done it on the back of good first-class cricket and good IPL seasons leading up to that selection, and Shreyas has done absolutely everything the same as some of those other players," Ponting noted.

"So I was disappointed that he didn't get picked, as I actually felt that he would get picked. But he didn't. And I think that probably makes him a little bit hungrier for us when these playoff games come around."

Ponting and Iyer previously combined at the Delhi Capitals. Iyer scored 243 runs from five innings at India's successful Champions Trophy earlier this year and has scored 603 runs for the Kings from 16 innings at the IPL this year to be sixth overall on the leading run-scorer charts.

"I enjoy playing a bit of a role with him as we work really well together...And that's the way we've worked this year, and it's been nice to get that sort of working relationship back together again," he said.

- ANI