ESPNcricinfo has learned that Ponting has signed a multi-year contract with Punjab, a franchise with multiple owners. Ponting, it is understood, will take the final call on the rest of the coaching staff. There is no clarity yet on who remains on the books from the coaching unit from last year: Trevor Bayliss (head coach), Sanjay Bangar (head of cricket development), Charl Langveldt (fast-bowling coach), Sunil Joshi (spin-bowling coach).
Ponting will be the sixth head coach in seven seasons at Punjab, who finished ninth in the 2024 season. They have not qualified for the IPL playoffs since 2014, when they finished runners-up. Ponting’s first challenge would be shortlisting players who could be potentially retained for the next season even as the franchises wait for the IPL to finalise the retention rules.
Harshal Patel, who won the purple cap for the second time in IPL 2024, along with the uncapped Indian pair of Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma were among the key performers for Punjab last season. Punjab also have India left-arm fast bowler Arshdeep Singh, wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma, legspinner Rahul Chahar in their squad along with a healthy bunch of overseas players, including the England trio of Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone, Johnny Bairstow and South Africa quick Kagiso Rabada.
With Shikhar Dhawan retiring recently, Punjab will also be keen to identify a new captain.
Ponting has been part of the IPL set-up since the inaugural season in 2008, first as a player at Kolkata Knight Riders followed by Mumbai Indians where he stepped down as captain midway through the 2013 season, paving way for Rohit Sharma to take over. Mumbai won the title the same year, with Ponting continuing in an advisory role in 2014 and then serving as head coach for two seasons in 2015 and 2016.
In 2018, Ponting took charge as head coach of Capitals who made the playoffs for three successive seasons between 2019 and 2021 before they qualified for the first IPL final in 2020. After ending his association with DC in July, Ponting was head coach during Washington Freedom’s title winning campaign in the 2024.
