'I was sleeping when I got a message from Ricky Ponting...': PBKS star discloses retention talk before IPL 2025

Prabhsimran Singh opened up on his chat with Punjab Kings head coach Ricky Ponting about retention for IPL 2025 season

Updated on: Apr 30, 2025, 11:50:19 IST

By Aratrick Mondal

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

Punjab Kings spent only INR 9.5 crore, retaining two players, both uncapped Indians, for the 2025 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). They could have retained high-profile international players, including Arshdeep Singh, Harshal Patel, Sam Curran, Jitesh Sharma, Kagiso Rabada, Jonny Bairstow and Liam Livingstone. But the franchise, looking to start with a clean slate under new head coach Ricky Ponting, instead resigned Shashank Singh, who was first on the list, retained for INR 5.5 crore, after showing his potential as a finisher last season. The other was a player who has mostly flown under the radar yet has been backed through the years in the franchise for his potential. First, it was Anil Kumble in 2022, now Ponting in 2025.

Prabhsimran Singh was retained for INR 4 crore by Punjab Kings (REUTERS)

Speaking exclusively on Star Sports Press Room with' Punjab Kings for Race To Playoffs', Prabhsimran Singh, in response to a query from Hindustan Times, opened up on his chat with Ponting about retention. He revealed that right around the time the Aussie was in talks to take over the head coach role in Punjab, he had called him up, saying he wanted him to continue his IPL career in the franchise.

The 24-year-old also disclosed that this was only his second interaction with the former Australia captain, the previous being after his century against Delhi Capitals for Punjab in IPL 2023. Ponting was then Delhi's head coach.

"When Punjab was talking about retention, I got a message from Ponting. I was sleeping then. I had gone to play in the Emerging Teams Asia Cup, and it was then that I had a chat with him. He really wanted me on the team because he was still in the conversation for the Punjab Kings head coach role. I was thrilled because he was Delhi's coach when I scored a 100 against Delhi in the IPL, and we met after the game. He then told me, 'You have a bright future.' That was the only time I had a chat with him until that call about retention," he told the website.

Prabhsimran opens up on Sachin Tendulkar chat

Prabhsimran went through multiple regime changes in Punjab since being picked as an 18-year-old in 2019. But it was only in 2023, when he had a breakthrough season, scoring 358 runs in 14 games at a strike rate of 150.42, followed by 334 runs in 2024 at a strike rate of 156.81. But 2025 has thus far been his best season, having clobbered 292 runs in the first nine games at his best-ever strike rate of 168.79. In fact, in the last three years, his strike rate as an opener in the IPL is among the top five.

But in a team that had the likes of Mayank Agarwal, Chris Gayle, KL Rahul and a few other seasoned batters, it was always difficult for the uncapped Indian to earn a secure spot in the XI. He even admitted to being left frustrated at not getting enough chances in the initial few years in Punjab, until a chance meeting with the legendary Sachin Tendulkar.

"Yes, I completed seven years in Punjab, but I barely played in the first three years. Then, there would be the pressure of whether I would be retained or not. I would get frustrated if I didn't get the opportunity to play. Then I would go and start running in the gym. In fact, one I had a chat with Sachin sir. I was not getting enough chances then. So I asked him how to deal with that, especially in such a long tournament. So he said, 'I did not spend much time sitting outside, but if you think that you reached this far in your career, then try to learn things from that because there may be players who might want to be where you are.' So that is when I started looking at things more positively," he said.

Prabhsimran will next be in action on Wednesday at the MA Chidambaram Stadium when Punjab Kings face Chennai Super Kings. A win at Chepauk could potentially eliminate CSK from the competition, while it will send Punjab to the third spot in the table and one step closer to making the playoffs for the first time in about a decade.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Aratrick Mondal
Aratrick Mondal is a senior sports journalist based in New Delhi. In his eight years as a sports writer, Aratrick has worked at leading media organisations, including The Times of India, Times Now, Zee, India TV and currently works at a senior position at Hindustan Times Digital. He writes on cricket, football, pickleball and tennis, among other sports. He has extensively covered India's evolving cricket landscape, the country's new-found love for private leagues such as Indian Pickleball League (IPBL), Ultimate Kho Kho League (UKK), Rugby Premier League (RPL) and several tennis leagues. He has closely covered emerging sports such as pickleball. His coverage of major franchise events lends an atmospheric flavor to his ground reports. His recent story on how SA20 (the domestic cricket league of South Africa) had opened up its grounds to create a carnival-like fan experience garnered major international attention, including appreciation from major cricketers. Tennis holds a special place in his heart. Aratrick has built a strong niche in analytical tennis stories—ranging from Grand Slam narratives and player profiles to tactical breakdowns and ranking trends. His long-form features often decode grand slams, career highs and lows of tennis greats and the upward trajectory of emerging stars. He also closely follows India's tennis landscape, having covered the Davis Cup, Bengaluru Open and Tata Open, among others. His reporting is backed by strong data capabilities, with hands-on experience using tools like Python, Tableau, and Excel to produce visually rich, insight-led stories. This data-first approach enhances accuracy, transparency, and trust. In leadership roles, he has managed editorial shifts, overseen homepage strategy, optimised SEO workflows, and mentored peers to deliver consistent, high-traffic journalism. He recently won the HT DigiStar award for the third quarter of financial year 2025-26. Aratrick is trusted for his balanced reportage, sound sourcing, and ability to translate complex sporting events into engaging narratives that speak to a wide audience. He believes sports is for everyone, not just for the enthusiasts and has a unique ability to bring people together - just like the sumptuous meals you'll often find him cooking on a weekend evening.Read More

Get the Cricket Live Score! including IPL Matches and track ICC rankings shifts, Cricket Schedule, and Players Stats along with detailed score profiles of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill.