/blog-sky365/media/media_files/Lj5Y1XQRHyPFS8HhuXka.jpg)
Source: X
As IPL 2025 approaches, Ricky Ponting, the former captain of Australia, is about to seal a big contract with Punjab Kings (PBKS), one of the most successful IPL (Indian Premier League) teams. Nevertheless, as of yet, neither party has provided an official confirmation or declaration.
However, there are numerous reports stating that Kings recently made contact with the former head coach of the Delhi Capitals (DC). The illustrious Australian captain signed a multi-year contract with the team, it was disclosed. The future plans of the current support team, which consists of Sanjay Bangar, Trevor Bayliss, Sunil Joshi, and Charl Langveldt, were still unknown.
According to ESPN Cricinfo, Ponting was probably going to make the ultimate decisions and choose his supporting group in the future. Notably, since 2014, PBKS has not advanced to the postseason. Ponting has a difficult task ahead of him in determining which players could be retained before the IPL 2025 auctions. In addition, the former world champion Shikhar Dhawan will have to select a new captain for Punjab since he has declared his retirement.
IPL 2025 big updates:
Notably, the former Australian world champion worked for Delhi for seven arduous years before deciding to leave, citing other obligations in addition to his coaching responsibilities. In 2018, the renowned batter became a part of the Indian Premier League. Since 2019, DC has consistently advanced to the playoff stages of India's premier cricket tournament under the capable leadership of Ricky Ponting. It is important to note that DC broke the curse of the playoffs in 2020 and played in their first-ever IPL summit match.
Speaking of individual achievements in the IPL 2024 edition, uncapped players Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma outperformed the team by doing remarkably well. The young Indian combination performed brilliantly in high-pressure situations, scoring crucial runs for the team in the middle order. PBKS was frequently observed struggling with their top-order batters unable to score.
With the ball in hand, Punjab Kings' pacers Arshdeep Singh and Harshal Patel did a good job of keeping things tight. For the second time in his IPL career, Patel specifically claimed the purple cap. For his third IPL franchise in his Indian cricket carnival career, Ponting will be coaching in the interim. In 2015 and 2016, he made his debuts with the Mumbai Indians, respectively.
After that, in 2018, he moved on to play for the Delhi Capitals. It's interesting to note that this year, he also looked forward to a place far from India: the legendary player became the head coach of the Major League Cricket (MLC) team Washington Freedom, which went on to win the championship in the tournament's 2024 edition.
Watch this space for more cricket news.