"Shreyas Iyer, Arshdeep Singh And..." 3 India Stars Named "Non-Negotiable" By Australia Legend

Australian great Ricky Ponting has revealed that Shreyas Iyer, Arshdeep Singh, and Yuzvendra Chahal were "non-negotiables" for him at the IPL 2025 mega auction as the new head coach looks to rebuild Punjab Kings in pursuit of their maiden title. Kolkata Knight Riders' IPL-winning skipper Shreyas Iyer became the second-most expensive player after PBKS secured him for a staggering Rs 26.75 crore, while leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal was bought for Rs 18 crore, making him the most expensive spinner of the tournament.

Left-arm pacer Arshdeep, who recently became India's leading T20I wicket-taker surpassing Chahal, was at the center of a dramatic bidding war before PBKS used their RTM card to retain him at Rs 18 crore --- the most expensive Indian pacer in IPL auction history.

"There were three players that I wanted to bring in. One who has been at Punjab Kings for three or four years -- Arshdeep Singh," Ponting explained his strategic approach at 'The Howie Games' podcast.

"I also wanted to bring in a captain who I have worked with before and who has had a lot of success. So, we went after Shreyas Iyer. I also wanted to bring in Yuzi. So the Indian guys that we have are perfect,” he said.

He further added that while some adjustments were necessary during the auction, his primary focus remained on building a well-balanced squad.

“And then, we had to make a few tweaks as the auction went on to make sure we ended up with a really good squad. I am trying to make things different and rebuild and have the right people around me. But these three were non-negotiables," he said.

The franchise has also shown faith in its young Indian contingent, retaining uncapped players Prabhsimran Singh and Shashank Singh as part of their long-term