IPL 2025: Inexperience cost us a bit but young group will win a lot in future, says Punjab Kings’ coach Ponting

PBKS' IPL final loss to RCB highlighted inexperience in middle order, but coach Ponting optimistic about future prospects.

Head coach Ricky Ponting conceded that Punjab Kings lacked little bit of experience in the middle order while batting second in a high-intensity IPL final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru but backed the team's young players to come good in future.

PBKS' impressive run in the IPL came to an end with a six-run defeat to RCB in the final, with the latter ending their 18-year long wait to win the IPL trophy in Ahmedabad on Tuesday (June 3, 2025).

Chasing 191, PBKS kept losing wickets in their chase and despite Shashank Singh's (30-ball 61 not out) late onslaught, which included three fours and six sixes, they fell short.

"You can look at it [the team] tonight and say was it probably a little bit of inexperience that cost us. Maybe, a little bit of experience in that middle order today might have helped us out," Ponting told the media after the match.

"But what I know is that they're going to win us a lot of games going forward." While the wicket here at the Narendra Modi Stadium remained conducive for batting, it was a little bit slower in certain phases of the game.

Ponting, however, refused to give any "excuse".

"No, I don't think so," he said when asked if the pitch changed in the second half. "There are no excuses from us, no excuses from me, in fact, Shashank at the end of the game said [he thought] that's the best wicket he has batted on for the whole season," he said.