On June 3, 2025, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) celebrated their first IPL victory after 17 years. Unfortunately, Punjab Kings (PBKS) fell short by six runs in their chase, missing out on the trophy.

PBKS head coach, Ricky Ponting, acknowledged the loss, highlighting the team’s middle-order lack of experience as a possible factor. However, he remained confident in the same players, believing they would help the team win in the future.

Despite claims that the pitch in Ahmedabad slowed down in the second innings, Ponting refuted this, pointing to Shashank Singh, who hit big shots.

“Maybe a bit of inexperience cost us. A bit more experience in the middle order might have made a difference, but I’m confident these players will win us many games in the future,” Ponting said, as quoted by The Hindu.

“No, I don’t think the pitch was an issue. We have no excuses, and neither do I. In fact, Shashank said after the game that it was the best wicket he had batted on all season,” he added.

Ponting, in his first year as PBKS head coach, highlighted how the final overs of the powerplay led to a loss of momentum.

“We lost momentum at a crucial time, particularly in the last couple of overs of the powerplay. You could feel the shift, and then in the four or five overs after the powerplay, we lost further momentum and key wickets,” he continued.

“The RCB felt their total in the first innings was insufficient, and we were satisfied with the opportunity to chase a target of 190. However, as I mentioned earlier, there are no excuses. We weren’t good enough,” he concluded.