Ricky Ponting reacts to Social Media criticism (Image: PTI)Ricky Ponting has responded strongly to the growing criticism and social media backlash surrounding Punjab Kings’ dramatic slump in IPL 2026, insisting the negativity has not affected the team’s dressing room.Punjab Kings began the new mega-auction cycle in sensational fashion, winning six of their first seven matches and emerging as one of the strongest teams in the tournament. However, their campaign has completely derailed since late April, with PBKS now entering their crucial clash against Lucknow Super Giants on the back of a six-match winless streak.The franchise currently sits fifth on the IPL 2026 points table with 13 points from 13 games, including one abandoned match against Kolkata Knight Riders. Despite the poor run, Punjab remain firmly in the playoff race thanks to a healthy net run rate of +0.227. With competition intensifying for the final playoff spot against Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals, PBKS now face a must-win scenario to revive their fading qualification hopes.Amid the team’s collapse in form, social media criticism has intensified, with players, team management, and the franchise leadership all coming under heavy scrutiny. However, Ponting dismissed the outside noise and stressed that the squad remains fully focused on turning things around.“There haven’t been any off-field things that I’ve had to worry about as a coach. We’ve managed everything the way we need to manage as a team, There’s so much social media out there that one little headline turns into a big story, but that doesn’t affect us. We know what we need to do as players to win games of cricket, and we push on with that,” Ponting told PTI.The former Australian captain also expressed confidence that the criticism would disappear if Punjab Kings manage to qualify for the playoffs.“If we qualify, then all this negativity out there about us will go away,” he added.Ponting urged his players to rediscover the fearless brand of cricket that made PBKS one of the most dangerous sides earlier in the season.“It’s pretty simple for us. We’ve got to get back to believing in just how good we are and remember the way we played in our first six or seven games of the season,” Ponting explained.“We need to hold on to those thoughts and memories instead of fearing failure or worrying about not having success. At our best, we’ve been the most fearless team in the tournament. We’ve been daring. That’s what I’ll be talking about again and making sure we bring those things into the game against Lucknow,” he said.