Ricky Ponting and Rishabh Pant
Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting did not take much time to decide his next organization in the IPL after parting ways with Delhi Capitals after a seven-season tenure from 2018 to 2024. Ponting has signed a four-year contract with Punjab Kings, the longest in the history of the franchise, as 10 coaches have worked for Punjab Kings before the former Delhi Capitals head coach. Let us tell you that Ponting is coming after winning the Major League Cricket (MLC) with Washington Freedom as a coach. At the same time, mega auctions are to be held for IPL 2025, so it will be good for them and it will give them a chance to start afresh.
Ponting said this
Ponting admitted that after parting ways with the Capitals, he was very attracted to Project Punjab as he had received some other offers. He told ESPN Cricinfo that yes, I was talking to some teams, but it was Project Punjab that attracted me. This is a team that has not had much success for a long time, a team that has changed coaches a lot, so I saw it as a challenge.
Why choose Punjab Kings
Ponting said he was impressed with some of the young players in the Punjab team last season and with a four-season deal with the Kings, he hopes to win the title, which he could not do in seven years with the Capitals. Obviously this was one of the reasons why he was not retained as coach as the Capitals reached the playoffs in three out of seven seasons including the final in 2020, but Ponting revealed that this was not the only reason.
Ponting said that one thing I have noticed this year is that a lot of IPL franchises, because now they have a lot of teams in most T20 leagues, they want to keep almost the same old coaching staff, this was one of the things that I got into trouble with DC. They wanted more time and wanted to have a coach from India on the field for most of the year. I could not commit to that. It seems that a lot of teams are moving in this way and it is absolutely right.
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