New Delhi, Sept 18: Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has officially been appointed as the new head coach of Punjab Kings (PBKS) for the next four seasons of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

In July, Ponting’s seven-year term with the Delhi Capitals ended after the franchise failed to enter IPL 2024 playoffs. He now becomes the sixth head coach in seven seasons for the PBKS, who finished ninth in the 2024 IPL season and chose to part ways with head coach Trevor Bayliss.

"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," said Ponting in a statement issued by the franchise Wednesday.

Under the Australian’s leadership, Delhi Capitals had reached the playoffs in three seasons - 2019, 2020 and 2021, while becoming known for his insightful coaching skills, nurturing youngsters and forming a good relationship with captain Rishabh Pant.

In 2020, DC had reached their first-ever IPL final, where they finished runners-up to Mumbai Indians. On the other hand, PBKS have not qualified for the IPL playoffs since 2014, when they finished runners-up to Kolkata Knight Riders.

Ponting had stints in the IPL with KKR and Mumbai Indians as a player till 2013. He was the with Mumbai Indians in an advisory role in 2014, before becoming their head coach in 2015, where they won the championship, and 2016 seasons.

Recently, he was head coach during Washington Freedom's title-winning campaign in the 2024 season of Major League Cricket (MLC) in the USA. Ponting also serves as the head of strategy for the Hobart Hurricanes in the BBL since 2021.

His first assignment as PBKS head coach would be to finalise the team strategy for the IPL 2025 mega auction, to be held later this year, especially with the retention rules yet to be officially known.

"We are delighted to have Ricky on to guide and build our team for the next 4 seasons. His experience is crucial to help us develop a squad to deliver on-field success. His insights from his international coaching stints and as a television pundit would be vital in identifying talent ahead of the mega auction this year. His ability to develop cricketing and leadership skills will play a crucial role in our success," said Satish Menon, the franchise CEO.

(IANS)

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