Ricky Ponting has been appointed as Punjab Kings Head Coach for the IPL 2025 season, two months after he parted ways with Delhi Capitals ending his seven-year tenure.
According to reports, Ponting has signed a multi-year contract with Punjab. But it is understood that Ponting will take the final call on the rest of the coaching staff. No clarity remains on the books from the coaching unit from last year.
After finishing ninth position in the IPL 2024, Punjab Kings is looking for a replacement for the head coach Trevor Bayliss. Ponting will be the third coach in four seasons at Punjab.
Ponting’s first challenge will be shortlisting players who could be potentially retained for the next season.
Harshal Patel who won the purple cap for the second time in IPL 2024 along with the uncapped Indian pair of Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma were among the key performers for Punjab last season.
Punjab has India left-arm fast bowler Arshdeep Singh, WK-batter Jitesh Sharma, and legspinner Rahul Chahar in their squad along with some overseas players including England trio Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone, and Jonny Bairstow.
With Shikhar Dhawan retired from cricket, Shikhar Cricket is keen on identifying a new captain.
Ricky Ponting has been part of the IPL set-up since the inaugural season in 2008, first as a player at Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indias where he stepped down as captain through the 2013 season, leaving a slot for Rohit Sharma to take over.
Mumbai won the title the same year, with Ponting continuing in an advisory role in 2014 and serving as head coach for two seasons in 2015 and 2016.
Ponting took charge as head coach of Delhi Capitals who made their playoffs for the successive season between 2019 and 2021, during which period they qualified for the IPL final in 2020.
While parting with Delhi Capitals, he paid tributes to him stating, “We’re finding it hard to put this down in words. The four things you told us about in every hurdle – care, commitment, attitude, and effort – sum up our seven summers together. Thank you for everything, coach! Like you often close, ‘Let’s leave this here mate, grab a beer, get back to work tomorrow.'”
After ending his association with Delhi Capitals in July, Ponting was head coach during Washington Freedom‘s title-winning campaign in 2024.
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