Ricky Ponting has been named the new head coach of Punjab Kings (PBKS) starting in IPL 2025, just over two months after he ended his seven-year stint with Delhi Capitals.
Four-Year Contract with Punjab Kings
According to ESPNcricinfo, Ponting has signed a four-year deal with the Kings, a team with multiple owners. It is expected that Ponting will have the final say on selecting the rest of the coaching team. It’s still unclear whether any of last year’s coaching staff, including Trevor Bayliss (head coach), Sanjay Bangar (head of cricket development), Charl Langeveldt (fast-bowling coach), and Sunil Joshi (spin-bowling coach), will stay on.
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Kings’ Coaching Changes and Playoff Drought
Ponting will be the third head coach for Punjab Kings in the past four seasons. The team finished ninth in the 2024 IPL season and hasn’t reached the playoffs since 2014, where they were runners-up. One of Ponting’s main tasks will be deciding which players to keep for the next season, as teams await the IPL’s final retention rules.
Key Players for Punjab Kings
Some key players for the Kings last season included Harshal Patel, who won the Purple Cap for the second time in IPL 2024, as well as uncapped Indian players Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma. The team also features strong talents like India’s left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh, wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma, and leg-spinner Rahul Chahar. Their overseas lineup includes stars such as England’s Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone, Jonny Bairstow, and South African fast bowler Kagiso Rabada.
New Captain Needed
With Shikhar Dhawan recently retiring, the team will also be on the lookout for a new captain.
Ponting’s IPL Journey
Ponting has been involved in the IPL since its first season in 2008, starting as a player with Kolkata Knight Riders. He later played for Mumbai Indians, where he stepped down as captain during the 2013 season, allowing Rohit Sharma to take over. Mumbai Indians won the title that same year, with Ponting transitioning into an advisory role in 2014. He then served as head coach for two seasons in 2015 and 2016.
In 2018, Ponting became the head coach of Delhi Capitals, leading the team to three consecutive playoff appearances between 2019 and 2021, including their first IPL final in 2020. After leaving Delhi Capitals in July 2024, Ponting led Washington Freedom to victory in Major League Cricket’s 2024 season.
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