IPL 2025: Ricky Ponting Joins Punjab Kings as Head Coach

Ricky Ponting has taken on a new challenge as the head coach of Punjab Kings (PBKS) starting in IPL 2025, just a couple of months after parting ways with Delhi Capitals, where he spent seven years. According to reports, Ponting has signed a four-year contract with Punjab Kings, and he’ll have the final say on who joins his coaching team. It’s not yet clear if any of last season’s coaches, like Trevor Bayliss or Sanjay Bangar, will stay on board.

In a statement, Ponting said he’s excited about the opportunity and eager to take on the new challenge. After discussing plans with the franchise's owners and management, he feels confident that they’re all on the same page when it comes to the team’s future. He also promised that fans will see a fresh and improved Punjab Kings in the upcoming seasons.

Ponting’s appointment makes him the team’s third head coach in four years. Punjab Kings finished ninth in IPL 2024, and they haven’t made the playoffs since 2014 when they were the runners-up. One of Ponting’s first jobs will be figuring out which players to retain, with everyone still waiting for the IPL to finalize retention rules.

Among the standout performers for Punjab last season were Harshal Patel, who claimed the Purple Cap for the second time, and uncapped talents like Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma. The team also has key players like fast bowler Arshdeep Singh, wicketkeeper-batsman Jitesh Sharma, and leg-spinner Rahul Chahar. Their overseas contingent includes big names like England's Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone, Jonny Bairstow, and South African pacer Kagiso Rabada. With the recent retirement of Shikhar Dhawan, the team will also be on the lookout for a new captain.

Ponting’s connection with the IPL goes back to 2008 when he played for Kolkata Knight Riders before moving to Mumbai Indians. In 2013, he stepped down as captain at Mumbai, handing over the role to Rohit Sharma, who led the team to the title that year. Ponting continued with Mumbai in various roles before becoming their head coach in 2015 and 2016. In 2018, he took over as the head coach of Delhi Capitals, guiding them to the playoffs for three consecutive seasons between 2019 and 2021, including their first-ever IPL final in 2020. After leaving Delhi in July, he coached Washington Freedom to victory in the 2024 season of Major League Cricket (MLC).