Led by Punjab Kings head coach legend Ricky Ponting, the team has devised a masterplan with the Australian players that is nothing short of a movie twist.
Punjab Kings picked five Australian players in their overseas slots – Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Josh Inglis, Aaron Hardy and Xavier Bartlett.
Ricky Ponting, who himself has been a great captain of Australian cricket, clearly said that he might face some criticism, but he is fully confident of his strategy.
Punjab Kings have not only bet on Australian players but have also invested heavily in young Indian talent. Young stars like Priyansh Arya, who performed with a bang in the Delhi Premier League, was included in the team.
608 runs in just 10 innings and a strike rate of 198.69 – that’s no mean feat! Harnoor Pannu, who has been a part of the 2022 U-19 World Cup winning team, showed the magic of his talent in the Sher-e-Punjab tournament.
Ricky Ponting warns Australia players
Ponting himself said that his scouts have done a great job. Youngsters like Mushir Khan, Suryansh Shedge, Piyala Avinash and Praveen Dubey have also been included in the squad. It’s not just one team, it seems to be an entire cricket academy where everyone has potential and enthusiasm.
The return of experienced players like Marcus Stoinis and Glenn Maxwell is a big strength for Punjab Kings. These two have played in this team before and are now coming back again.
New faces like Xavier Bartlett, Aaron Hardy and Josh Inglis are also all set to make their IPL debuts.
Ricky Ponting believes the players at his disposal perfectly fit the roles that the team needed.
However, they also acknowledge that with so many Australian players, there could be some criticism to be faced.
