After his appointment as the top coach of Punjab Kings (PBKS) within the Indian Premier League (IPL), former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting opened up on his exit from the Delhi Capitals (DC) teaching setup, saying that his availability had develop into a problem and the franchise needed him to function as a full-time head coach. Ponting has been named the brand new head coach of Punjab Kings (PBKS) ranging from IPL 2025, following his departure from Delhi Capitals two months in the past, ending a seven-year stint with the franchise. Ponting turns into the third head coach in 4 seasons for Punjab Kings, who completed ninth within the 2024 IPL season. The crew has not made the playoffs since 2014, after they had been runners-up. One among Ponting’s preliminary duties shall be to establish gamers for retention forward of the subsequent season, pending the finalisation of the IPL’s retention guidelines.
Ponting’s IPL journey started as a participant with Kolkata Knight Riders within the inaugural 2008 season. He later joined the Mumbai Indians, the place he relinquished the captaincy mid-season in 2013, permitting Rohit Sharma to take over and lead the crew to their first title that 12 months. Ponting continued in an advisory function in 2014 and served as head coach in 2015 and 2016.
In 2018, Ponting took over as head coach of the Delhi Capitals, guiding them to 3 consecutive playoff appearances from 2019 to 2021, together with their maiden remaining in 2020.
After his tenure with the Delhi Capitals led to July 2024, Ponting led the Washington Freedom to a title-winning marketing campaign within the Main League Cricket (MLC).
Chatting with ESPNCricinfo, Ponting stated that he managed to create a “household surroundings” throughout his stint with the Capitals.
“I felt like we created a very good household surroundings there. As I stated, I perceive what they need; they stated to me that my availability was changing into a problem. And so they needed to just about have a full-time head coach. I couldn’t decide to that, so I used to be disenchanted that it ended, however I perceive the path they needed to move going ahead,” stated Ponting.
“Everybody that I’ve been there with, has had a good time. You’ve gotten solely to have a look at a few of the social media posts that Delhi put out straightaway to know that numerous the individuals concerned within the franchise had been disenchanted that I wasn’t persevering with as effectively. However the selections had been made,” he added.
Ponting stated that the stress of profitable a trophy weighs heavy on a coach, however he needs that stress.
“That’s the factor that makes teaching inviting to me. I like having that stress. It’s as near getting again to taking part in as you’ll be able to presumably get. From the second I completed taking part in, when that competitors stops in your life, it’s actually onerous to exchange that once more. The closest factor I may discover to taking part in was getting again within the cricket crew’s altering room being a coach and feeling like you’re really taking part in once more. And training in opposition to guys that I might need performed in opposition to and guys which can be teaching that I performed against–I need to beat them. Easy. A cricket altering room is the place I am purported to be,” he added.
Ponting acknowledged that he made numerous nice reminiscences throughout his IPL journey, calling teaching MI an “superior expertise.” He additionally stated that DC altering room was a “particular place” even and not using a trophy.
“However we made a few huge slip-ups in our mega-auction a few years in the past [2022] and even most likely our participant retentions, and that set us again fairly a means. And even this 12 months [2024], little issues went in opposition to us once more, with Rishabh [Pant, DC captain] being suspended for a sport that we needed to win. We missed the playoffs on run price. Little issues like that add up. The ends in T20 video games are determined by actually small margins. After which our season could be outlined by actually small margins as effectively. And we’ve got been on the mistaken finish of these for a few years at DC,” he added.
On the evolution of teaching within the IPL, Ponting stated that teaching has develop into extra particular now and groups are protecting each base by appointing coaches for various roles.
“So you have got numerous the very best coaches on the planet there without delay. And when you have got the very best coaches and the very best gamers, you’re assured to have high-quality cricket. What the IPL has completed by having all of those coaches is, I believe, the explanation that India are literally pretty much as good as they’re. There has all the time been that expertise in India, however to have that expertise round the very best coaches for 2 or three months yearly has helped them develop into higher gamers,” he added.
Ponting stated that numerous IPL franchises are attempting to have a full-time teaching workers, one thing he thought of not doing as a result of he wouldn’t have been out there in the course of the low season attributable to different commitments and household time.
Key performers for Punjab final season included Harshal Patel, who gained the Purple Cap for the second time, and the uncapped Indian gamers Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma.
The squad additionally options notable skills like left-arm quick bowler Arshdeep Singh, wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma, leg-spinner Rahul Chahar, and a robust contingent of abroad gamers, together with England’s Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone, Jonny Bairstow, and South African pacer Kagiso Rabada.
With the current retirement of Shikhar Dhawan, figuring out a brand new captain can even be a precedence for Ponting and the crew administration.
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