Chandigarh: Gung-ho after building a formidable squad at the IPL 2025 mega auction, the co-owners of Punjab Kings say the franchise got over 90 percent of the players they targeted, crediting "hard team work" for the successes.
The say Kings entered the auction to create a solid core for years to come and succeeded.
While reflecting on successful auctions, Ness Wadia, co-owner of the team, praised the team's scouts and analysts and acknowledged the contribution made by Ricky Ponting.
He said, "It's a pleasure to sit next to Ricky and learn so much, even with the analysts, Saurabh and Ashish. It was a great team effort. They put in at least 200-300 hours in the last month and a half. So, all the hard work pays off, and now we get to the important part: playing."
He also spoke about the togetherness and family dynamic the franchise is looking to build together, including the players and the backroom staff. "It's almost like a family with us, Saurabh, Satish, and everyone else. I think Ricky brings that humility, humbleness, and experience as a world-class player, cricketer, and captain. He is one of the greatest ever, and we're so happy to have him with us. We welcome him to the family."
"I think Punjab is going to be very happy, and all Punjabi supporters in Himachal, Kashmir, and other places can be pleased with the style he (Ponting) brings. We all know what he does. So, we look forward to seeing him in 2025," he concluded.
Co-owner Preity Zinta, delighted with the team's performance over the two days, said, "Auctions are always very dynamic, but if you get over ninety percent of the players you wanted, then it's a fantastic auction. We did get over ninety percent of the players we wanted. It was bittersweet because we had to let go of certain players. That was our calculation: if we go with a clean slate with the least retention and the highest purse, we get the flexibility to do something completely different."
She reiterated the new approach for the Punjab Kings and was pleased with the additions to the squad. She said, "This season, we have a new approach, a new coach, a new stadium, and there's new hope. Some former players are back. We have Stoinis, we have Maxi, we have Arsh. Arsh, of course, is Punjabi as well. We've also got Nehal, who is from Punjab. We've got Harnoor as well. It was very important for us to get players from our catchment, young talents.
Ricky Ponting helmed the auction for the Kings in Jeddah. The Australian legend was delighted with the team's performance at the auction table and credited the analysts and scouts for their efforts.
"The auction has gone great. It probably couldn't have gone much better, to be honest. It's been a lot of work and a lot of team effort. The analysts have done a terrific job, providing me with much information on the local players. Obviously, I know a lot about the overseas guys," he added.