Ricky Ponting joins Punjab Kings as head coach

Legendary Australian captain Ricky Ponting has been appointed as the head coach of the IPL team Punjab Kings. The IPL team has officially announced their new head coach appointment on Wednesday (September 18).

In the IPL 2023 and 2024, Trevor Bayliss was the head coach of the Punjab Kings. Now, from the IPL 2025, the Punjab-based IPL franchise will play under Ricky Ponting’s coaching. Ponting will have an important role in the upcoming mega auction.

In the official statement, Punjab Kings’ CEO Satish Menon revealed that Ponting has been appointed as the head coach of the team for the next four years.

𝐏𝐔𝐍TER is 𝐏𝐔𝐍JAB! 🦁♥️

🚨 Official Statement 🚨
Ricky Ponting joins Punjab Kings as the new Head Coach! #RickyPonting #SaddaPunjab #PunjabKings pic.twitter.com/DS9iAHDAu7

— Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) September 18, 2024

I am excited to take up the new challenge: Ricky Ponting

Ponting said, "I am grateful to Punjab Kings for presenting me with the opportunity to be the new Head Coach. I am excited to take up the new challenge. I had great conversations with the owners and the management about the way forward and was truly elated to see the alignment of our visions for the team. We all want to repay the fans who have stayed with the franchise over the years and we promise that they will see a much different Punjab Kings going forward."

SEE ALSO: ICC delegation set to inspect security measures in Pakistan; Here is why?

Punjab Kings are struggling in the IPL for a long time

Punjab Kings have been among the underperformed IPL teams for many years. Apart from their IPL 2008 semi-final exit and IPL 2014 runners-up finishing, Punjab Kings, formerly known as Kings XI Punjab, have never finished in the top four of an IPL season. 

Punjab Kings last time finished in the top five during the IPL 2017. While ten teams have been participating in the IPL since 2022, Punjab Kings finished in the sixth, eighth, and ninth places in the last three seasons, respectively. 

Ricky Ponting has a great experience in IPL coaching

Ricky Ponting is a very experienced coach, especially in the Indian Premier League. During the IPL 2015 and 2016, Ponting was the head coach of Mumbai Indians. Under his coaching, Mumbai Indians won the IPL 2015 trophy. 

Between 2018 and 2024, Ponting was the head coach of the IPL team Delhi Capitals (formerly known as Delhi Daredevils). During his coaching tenure, Delhi Capitals made huge improvements, including reaching the playoffs for three straight seasons (2019, 2020, and 2021) and finishing as the runners-up in the IPL 2020, which was their first-ever IPL final appearance.