Former Australian cricketer Ricky Ponting finally reveals why he joined Punjab Kings (PBKS) as the head coach for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. After a disappointing stint with Delhi capitals, particularly in the previous season, Ponting was removed from his role and is expected to provide strategic guidance to Punjab.
After removing the ex-Aussie cricketer Trevor Bayliss from his responsibilities, Ricky Ponting became the 11th head coach of Punjab Kings. But, the 2-time World Cup-winning captain has a convincing reason for joining Punjab even after getting multiple offers from other franchises.
Under Ponting’s guidance, Delhi Capitals qualified for the playoffs in 2019 and 2021, which was indeed the first time since 2012. Most importantly, the team played its maiden IPL finals in 2020 and concluded as the season’s runner-up after losing to Mumbai Indians (MI).
Ricky Ponting’s Reason for Joining Punjab Kings
In a recent interview with ESPNCricinfo, Ricky Ponting opens up on why he joined Punjab Kings:
“Yeah! I discussed this with a few other teams as well. But, it was Project Punjab that impressed me. It is one such team that hasn’t experienced success over a long time. Mainly, the coaches have changed numerous times, so I viewed it as a challenge.
The main interesting part is that I observed a few youngsters in the previous season playing for Punjab. I hope that we can retain those same players in the team for the upcoming season. This would help build a strong squad that would be successful enough to win the IPL trophy.
There isn’t any doubt that Punjab has top-quality players and is a good team. The only thing is that they haven’t been able to win any of the seasons so far. I have signed a long-term deal and I believe that during this period, we will be able to succeed in lifting the maiden IPL trophy,” Ricky Ponting said.
Ricky Ponting Feels Disappointed for Leaving Delhi Capitals
Additionally, Ponting expressed his dissatisfaction with ending his stint with Delhi Capitals after spending 7 years with the franchise:
“Certainly! I feel excited to be back in the Indian Premier League. It’s an important part of my life and I have been in IPL for 11 years. The only factor that keeps me pushing back is the style of cricket and the standard of players you work with. However, I feel unhappy about leaving DC after 7 years, but I can understand the main reason behind it.
We created a good family-like environment there, but my presence was becoming a concern. They planned to have a full-time head coach and I wouldn’t have committed to do so. I feel dissatisfied that it concluded, but I do understand the path they want to move forward.
At present, I have an opportunity with Punjab Kings. I view it as a real coaching challenge, and there is a huge project waiting for me. Also, I have had a conversation with the team owner and management, and they could understand the strategy I want to move on. And we all are committed well to the same goal,” Ponting added a few more facts.
Overall Facts:
Ricky Ponting became Delhi Capitals head coach in 2018 after his cricketing days concluded in the rich-cash league. He guided the team to three consecutive playoffs from 2019 to 2021, which included their first-ever IPL final in 2020. Notably, after Ponting’s tenure concluded with Delhi capitals, he guided the Washington Freedom to experience a successful championship-winning campaign in the Major League Cricket (MLC) 2024.
The cricketing world is eager to see if Ricky Ponting can turn around the fortunes of the Punjab Kings, which have been the low-performing teams of the IPL over the years. In the past 17 seasons, Punjab qualified for playoffs only twice, which includes the finals and their last playoff appearance, where they were ranked as runner-up in 2014 after losing to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Before that, Punjab managed to enter its first playoffs in the inaugural season of IPL in 2008.
It is understood that Ponting isn’t interested in achieving short-term success. Rather, he is dedicated to building a strong squad for Punjab that can attain consistency to win the IPL titles in the upcoming seasons. In the next few years, the 49-year-old legendary Aussie batsman will aim to retain and develop young talents that have impressed him in the recently concluded edition. Ultimately, Ponting’s long-term goals could result in a smaller number of major changes in the team and a highly stable setup that the Punjab Kings struggled with in the past seasons. Finally, it is expected that Ricky Ponting’s arrival marks a new era for Punjab Kings to frequently challenge for the IPL trophy by developing a competitive team to form the keystone of future glory.