IPL 2025: Australia legend Ricky Ponting joins Punjab Kings as head coach

IPL 2025: Ricky Ponting has been named head coach of the Punjab Kings (PBKS) ahead of the IPL 2025 season, just over two months after leaving the Delhi Capitals.

In Short

• Ricky Ponting joins Punjab Kings as head coach for IPL 2025
• Ponting is Punjab Kings' sixth head coach in the last seven seasons
• Ponting joined PBKS months after parting ways with Delhi Capitals

Former Delhi Capitals coach Ricky Ponting has been appointed as the head coach of Punjab Kings (PBKS) ahead of the IPL 2025 season. Ponting joined Punjab just over two months after parting ways with Delhi Capitals, where he served for seven seasons.

Ponting has signed a four-year contract till 2028 with Punjab Kings, a franchise with multiple owners. He is expected to have full control over assembling the coaching staff, although there is no clarity yet on the status of last year's coaching unit, including Trevor Bayliss (head coach), Sanjay Bangar (head of cricket development), Charl Langeveldt (fast-bowling coach), and Sunil Joshi (spin-bowling coach).

This appointment marks Ponting's role as the sixth head coach of Punjab Kings in the last seven seasons. PBKS had a disappointing 2024 season, finishing ninth, and have not made it to the IPL playoffs since their runner-up finish in 2014. Ponting's immediate task will be to identify players for retention ahead of the 2025 season, as the IPL finalizes its retention rules.

Key players in Punjab's squad include Harshal Patel, the 2024 Purple Cap winner, uncapped Indian talents Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma, along with established names like Arshdeep Singh, Jitesh Sharma, and Rahul Chahar. PBKS also boasts strong overseas players, including England's Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone, Jonny Bairstow, and South African pacer Kagiso Rabada.

Ponting's IPL journey began as a player with Kolkata Knight Riders and later with Mumbai Indians, where he captained and transitioned to a coaching role. As head coach of Delhi Capitals from 2018 to 2023, Ponting led the team to three consecutive playoff appearances and their first IPL final in 2020.

Ponting's leadership credentials extend beyond the IPL, with his recent success guiding Washington Freedom to a title in 2024. Punjab Kings will hope his expertise and strategic insight will rejuvenate the franchise's fortunes in the coming seasons.