Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has been named as the new head coach of the Punjab Kings on a four-year contract, the team announced on Wednesday. Ponting, 49, will replace Trevor Bayliss, who parted ways with Punjab in July after the team finished ninth in the last Indian Premier League (IPL) season. Ponting will take the reins after spending seven seasons with the Delhi Capitals. This will mark his third coaching stint with the franchise, which has not qualified for the playoffs since 2014.
"We are thrilled to have Ricky on board to lead and develop our team over the next four seasons. His extensive experience is vital in helping us build a squad capable of achieving on-field success," said Satish Menon, the Kings' Chief Executive Officer, in a statement. Punjab has yet to win an IPL title, with their best performance coming in 2014 when they finished as runners-up.
"I am honored to have been given the opportunity to serve as the new Head Coach of the Punjab Kings. I am eager to take on this new challenge," Ponting stated. "I had fruitful discussions with the owners and management about our future direction, and I was genuinely excited to find that our visions for the team were perfectly aligned." He added, "We are all committed to rewarding the loyal fans who have supported the franchise over the years, and we promise that they will witness a significantly different Punjab Kings moving forward."
Ponting has been involved with the IPL since its inception in 2008, playing for the Kolkata Knight Riders and later for the Mumbai Indians in 2013, where he stepped down from the captaincy midway through the season. He joined the Delhi Capitals in 2018 and guided the team to three consecutive playoff appearances between 2019 and 2021, including their maiden IPL final in 2020. In 2024, he also led the Washington Freedom to victory in the Major League Cricket title in the United States.
