Punjab Kings likely to part ways with Trevor Bayliss, eyeing Indian coach: Report

Following in the footsteps of two time ODI World Cup winning captain Ricky Ponting, another Australian Trevor Bayliss is expected to leave his coaching role in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Bayliss the head coach of the Punjab Kings (PBKS) may part ways with the Mohali based team before the IPL season 2025.

The Punjab Kings did not make it to the playoffs this year, finishing ninth out of ten teams. They managed only six wins and suffered nine losses. The last time PBKS made it to the playoffs was in 2014.

Bayliss’s contract ends

Punjab Kings unlikely to renew Head Coach Trevor Bayliss' contract.

– The franchise is looking for an Indian Coach. (Cricbuzz). pic.twitter.com/7x9vaI91Wb

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) July 24, 2024

Trevor Bayliss’s two-year contract with the Punjab Kings, owned by Bollywood actress Preity Zinta, has ended. Reports suggest that the team is unlikely to renew his contract for the next T20 season.

According to Cricbuzz, the Punjab Kings are looking for an Indian coach for the 2025 IPL season. They are considering several candidates including Sanjay Bangar, who was previously the head coach and is now the director of cricket development.

A board meeting to decide on the head coach role was scheduled for July 22, but it didn’t happen. The team is still exploring other options before the mega-auction later this year.

Why Bayliss might leave

Sources say PBKS wants an Indian coach to lead the team. Although they don’t have issues with Bayliss’s coaching style, they are unhappy with the results over the past two seasons. Despite having a strong squad, the team has not performed well. Bayliss took over from Anil Kumble before the 2023 season.

Indian coaches are popular in the IPL. Recently, Gautam Gambhir and Chandrakant Pandit guided the Kolkata Knight Riders, while Ashish Nehra led the Gujarat Titans to the title in 2022. Dinesh Karthik will join the Royal Challengers Bengaluru as a batting coach for the upcoming season.

Bayliss has coached Kolkata Knight Riders, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Punjab Kings, as well as the England cricket team. However his recent T20 record has been disappointing. The PBKS management will review the last season’s performance before making any final decisions.

Future of IPL coaching

Rahul Dravid is drawing interest from several IPL teams. The future of Ashish Nehra and Vikram Solanki with the Gujarat Titans is uncertain. The Kolkata Knight Riders are also expected to appoint new coaches after Gautam Gambhir, Abhishek Nayar, and Ryan ten Doeschate moved to the Indian team.