Punjab Kings (PBKS) skipper Shreyas Iyer urged his side to move on from last season and embrace a fresh start, as he laid down a clear message ahead of their first match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 to be played against the Gujarat Titans (GT) at the PCA New International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.
“See, last season is history now. We start from ball one. It's important that we stick to the present and see to it that we enjoy each and every moment," Iyer said in a video released by the IPL. Skipper also praised the love and support the team gets when they play at their home ground and expected the fans to continue cheering for them as they start their new season
"It certainly feels like home. The love and the support the home team got last season it was phenomenal. And I'm hoping to see a lot of them coming in numbers this season and cheering us up. It doesn't really feel like an away game,” Iyer added. Punjab Kings enjoyed a stellar campaign in IPL 2025, finishing as runners-up and marking one of their best performances in the tournament’s history.
Looking ahead to the new season, Iyer highlighted the influence of head coach Ricky Ponting in shaping the team’s approach and dressing room environment. “The main guy (Ricky Ponting) of our team. So he basically runs through all the chats, all the important talks that we have inside the dressing room.
And I'm sure that we'll be able to execute this season flawlessly,” he added. Punjab Kings and Gujarat Titans have faced each other six times in IPL history, with both sides giving tough competition to each other, as the head-to-head record is tied with PBKS winning three encounters, and GT also came victorious on three occasions.