The former Australia captain and former Delhi Capitals (DC) head coach Ricky Ponting has been brought on board by Punjab Kings (PBKS) for the same position.
Ponting, who left DC just over two months ago after a seven-year association, will take charge at PBKS ahead of the retentions and the mega auction. According to a report by ESPNCricinfo Ponting has signed a multi-year contract with the Punjab-based franchise.
There remains uncertainty regarding who will retain their roles from the previous coaching staff. The coaching unit included head coach Trevor Bayliss, Sanjay Bangar (head of cricket development), Charl Langveldt (fast-bowling coach), and Sunil Joshi (spin-bowling coach).
The coaching carousel at the Punjab franchise continues. Ponting becomes their sixth head coach in seven seasons.
His appointment aims to break the curse of not qualifying for the playoffs, with their last appearance in the last four dating back to IPL 2014, when they reached the final but lost to Gautam Gambhir-led Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
PBKS’ long absence from the playoffs is notable. Under Ponting, DC reached their first-ever final with Shreyas Iyer at the helm in 2020, but he could not guide them to their maiden IPL title. Like DC, PBKS has yet to secure a trophy despite being part of the lucrative league since its inception.
With Shikhar Dhawan announcing his retirement from international cricket and the IPL, PBKS will be on the lookout for a new captain.
It will be intriguing to see if they place their trust in England all-rounder Sam Curran, who led the team in Dhawan’s absence during the previous season. Finishing ninth on the points table with just five wins from 14 games, PBKS ended the season just above the five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians (MI).
