With a playoff spot still at stake, PBKS are looking to move past recent results and return to the form that helped them dominate the first half of the season.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference on Friday, Ponting said the dressing room atmosphere remains positive despite the pressure of the situation.
“There’s a really good, positive vibe around the group, it’s been really relaxed. We’ve got quite an experienced group of players so they know how to go about getting themselves prepared for big games, and I guess there’s no hiding from the fact that it’s now or never for us as a team in this tournament. So I’m really excited about tomorrow. I’m excited about what this group is capable of, and I think we all saw in the first seven games of the season just how good this team can play,” said Ponting.
Ponting also warned that LSG could still be dangerous despite being out of playoff contention.
“I think teams in situations like this can be very dangerous. Lucknow going into tomorrow, apart from probably personal pride and pride for the franchise’s performance, they’ve really got nothing else to lose. But we understand that, and that’s the way that I want my boys to play as well. I want us to be fearless and I want us to be daring. I want us to take the game on and not be worried about the negative things that might happen,” he added.
The former Australia captain said close moments often decide T20 matches and stressed the need for players to stay focused on execution.
“It’s really important we focus on the positive things and what you can do as an individual player to make an impact on the game there and then. These games in the IPL are decided by very, very fine margins. You’ve only got to be off by a couple of balls here and there, or one of your batsmen might take a bad option, or a freakish piece of fielding to change the momentum. So we’re aware of that, but we just need to know that we need to play our best game tomorrow,” he said.
Ponting also praised fast bowler Arshdeep Singh and captain Shreyas Iyer for their contributions during the season.
“In the last few games, we’ve probably seen Arshdeep getting back to his best. The IPL is becoming a much higher-scoring competition, and I’ve been extremely happy and proud of the way he has gone about his cricket. He leaves no stone unturned as far as his preparation’s concerned. Alongside him, Shreyas’ leadership around the group has been exceptional. He’s a very mature leader now who understands how to get the best out of his players. Every time that he speaks, every one of our players looks up and listens,” Ponting concluded.
Punjab Kings will take on Lucknow Super Giants in Lucknow on Saturday.