‘Ricky Ponting wouldn’t have retained Prabhsimran Singh without saying…’: Vaughan says PBKS opener a match winner

A few eyebrows were raised when Punjab Kings retained only two cricketers – both of them uncapped – before the mega auctions and Prabhsimran Singh was one of them. Right at the beginning of IPL 2025, their decision was proven right. Shashank Singh played a breathtaking innings in their season opener against Gujarat Titans and Prabhsimran repaid the faith in the next match against Lucknow Super Giants by hitting 69 off 34 balls. Prabhsmiran hit three sixes and nine boundaries, scoring at a strike rate of almost 203 on Tuesday night in Lucknow. It was mainly due to his innings that PBKS were able to chase down LSG’s 172-run target in 16.2 overs with eight wickets in the bank.

After Prabhsimran’s dazzling display, former England captain Michael Vaughan said PBKS head Ricky Ponting must have had a role in his retention. The legendary Australian skipper wouldn’t waste a retention just for the sake of it, Vaughan said. He must have seen that spark in Prabhsimran.

“I think it’s just the start of his journey in cricket. He’s had flashes. They’ve retained him because he’s a brilliant player. Ricky Ponting wouldn’t have retained someone without saying, ‘We want that kid,’, said Vaughan on Cricbuzz.

Prabhsimran Singh has been synonymous with Punjab Kings. Captains, coaches, support staff members, and big players have come and gone, but he has remained a constant part of the PBKS set-up since 2019. Prabhsimran, Arshdeep Singh, and Harpreet Brar are the only three cricketers who have turned up for Pujab in every season of IPL in the past seven years. The right-handed wicketkeeper-batter only got to play eight matches in the first four years, but he started to come on his own in the 2023 season. In the last two years, he has scored close to 700 runs at an average strike rate of 166.

‘Prabhsimran’s confidence will go through the roof’: Vaughan

Vaughan said this is just the beginning for the 24-year-old, who can only get better and better as his confidence grows at this level. “He’s got something special about him, and I’m already seeing something special that can produce a lot of good results. Tonight was great, but he could produce even better because his confidence level would start to go through the roof. When you start winning, and you contribute to that win, your confidence starts getting a huge amount of boost,” he said.

Explaining the reasons behind Prabhsimran’s success, Vaughan said the PBKS opener is an ideal mix of power and touch. “In T20 cricket, you always want power because the players that are playing the best are the ones that have got powerful strikes down the ground but also a little bit of touch. So you have to as an opposition captain think ‘Oh where do I put the field?’ Do I go behind square? Do I go front of square? You’ve got to remember that in the first six, you’re only allowed two fields outside.”