For PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer, who has always prioritized winning the Punjab team’s maiden IPL crown, it has been all or nothing from the start.

Iyer, the Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) IPL 2024 winning skipper, was purchased by PBKS for an incredible Rs 26.75 crore in the previous year’s big auction.

As could be anticipated, the high price tag at first caused some skepticism. However, after leading KKR to the IPL 2024 championship the year before, Iyer’s skill—particularly as a captain—was never in doubt.

As expected, Iyer paid PBKS well by becoming its undisputed leader. Iyer led PBKS to victory in the group stage, where they finished first in the standings and qualified for Qualifier 1, their first postseason trip since 2014.

“My objective has been clear from the beginning, ever since I was chosen in the auction: I want to assist the squad in lifting the trophy for the first time, since Punjab hasn’t done it before. We all want to see the famous Punjabi celebration, so I want to make the people proud and give them something to celebrate,” Iyer said on Star Sports.

This season, PBKS changed their strategy to turn around the team’s fortunes and pursue their first IPL championship under the leadership of Iyer and head coach Ricky Ponting. The two men previously collaborated at Delhi Capitals to advance to the finals in 2020.

Ponting also gave some thought to the team’s cultural change he is spearheading and their shared desire to do better this season.

“The first thing I told the proprietors when I started working there was that things would be different. However, it is one thing to say that; it is quite another to convince the players to support it. Not me, but they are the ones that really effect change. I may spread ideas and build a culture, but we must all work together. I’ve been saying it from day one: everyone is working toward the same objective, from our captain to our luggage men.”

“It seems like the lads are having fun and have bought into it. There is a lot of fun and enthusiasm in the team room and around the team hotel. But we must remain focused and continue to appreciate it. The competition is still a few weeks away. We haven’t accomplished anything yet, despite playing terrific cricket. As a team, we still have a lot more work to do,” he said.

At their home stadium in Mullanpur, Punjab Kings will play Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Qualifier 1 on Thursday.

If the team wins in front of their home crowd, they will seek a straight spot in the final; if they lose, they will have another opportunity to advance to the championship match in Qualifier 2 in Ahmedabad on Sunday.