For the first time in over a decade, Punjab Kings find themselves within touching distance of the elusive IPL crown. The fairytale continued on Monday, when the Shreyas Iyer-led side defeated Mumbai Indians in Jaipur to seal a place in Qualifier 1.

Before the match, Iyer delivered a powerful message to his team. “Qualification is half the job done; finishing in the top two is half the job done,” revealed Shashank Singh during the post-match press conference.

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Head coach Ricky Ponting echoed Shreyas’ mindset after the win.

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

It’s a mindset that may seem unexpected for a franchise that has often underachieved, but for Shashank and his teammates, it reflects a new era of belief and purpose. “The full job will be done on the 3rd of June, I guess,” Shashank added.

“When, late at night—around 12 o’clock—we’ll have a press conference. That’ll be the time I’ll tell you that, yes, we are on top of the world.”

Yet, the 33-year-old hasn’t lost sight of the moment’s magnitude. His finishing skills have been crucial to PBKS’s campaign this season.

“It feels surreal, to be very honest. It feels really good—very satisfying. And the best thing is that we manifested this as a team. Not just me individually, but collectively. After the auctions, we had a WhatsApp group where we said this would be our year. Our first goal was to finish in the top two, and we’ve cleared that hurdle,” Shashank said.

“But again, manifesting is one thing; believing is another. So we believed, we manifested, and then we worked hard—really hard—for this. Credit goes to the management, support staff, and literally every single individual associated with Punjab Kings. Not just the players or coaches, but everyone involved.

“We had four to five preparatory camps before the IPL, and now you can see the results. We’re in the top two—which is no small feat in a league like the IPL.”

Shashank believes that the reunion of Iyer and Ponting this season—after their earlier stint together at Delhi Capitals—has played a pivotal role in PBKS’s turnaround. He credited the duo for the cultural shift in the franchise.

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

“The way he gives everyone freedom—not just me, but all 25 players and the entire support staff, including the content team, media, logistics—he treats everyone with respect. That’s what makes him special.

“And the culture he and Ricky sir have created here—it’s all about love and care. From day one, that was the motto: we need to care for one another, and the results will follow.”

Shashank didn’t hold back his admiration for the former Australian captain.

“I’ve mentioned Brian Lara before. Now, I have to add Ricky Ponting to that list. He’s changed our team’s mindset, our belief, our entire approach,” he said. “He’s by far the best coach I’ve ever played under.

“He’s changed our perspective on the game—focusing on culture, care, and mutual respect. These things are easy to say, but building them into a team is another matter. And Ricky sir built it. On day one, he and Shreyas told us they would treat Yuzvendra Chahal and our bus driver the same. And they’ve actually done it. That speaks volumes.”

Ponting, too, was clear about his desire to bring Shreyas into the PBKS setup.

“I was pretty keen to work with him again. You could see how much I valued him by how far I was willing to go at the auction. We had a great working relationship in Delhi and even made the final under his captaincy,” Ponting said.

“I’ve known him for a long time—both as a player and as a person. He’s high quality. And when you’re trying to change a team’s culture, you need high-quality people around. If you ask the players individually, I think every single one of them would give Shreyas a huge endorsement.

“He’s lifted them up when they needed it, and he’s been firm when necessary. That’s what a strong, effective leader does,” added the former World Cup-winning captain.