3 IPL teams that should try and get Ricky Ponting as head coach ft. PBKS
Australian legend Ricky Ponting, who was relieved of his duties as the head coach of Delhi Capitals earlier this year, has expressed his desire to coach in the Indian Premier League again.
While Ponting revealed that the Capitals were looking for an India-based coach to give them more time, especially during the off-season, he has kept his options open in helming a side in the tournament again.
"I'd love to coach again in the IPL. I've had a great time every year that I've been involved, whether that was in the early days as a player or the couple of years I had at Mumbai as head coach there," he said on the ICC Review Podcast.
The 49-year-old has most recently tasted success by leading the Washington Freedom to the Major League Cricket 2024 title alongside skipper and fellow Australian Steven Smith, which could boost his stocks.
In this listicle, we take a look at three IPL teams that should try and get Ponting as their head coach:
#1 Punjab Kings
Punjab Kings (PBKS) did not have the best of times in IPL 2024 and will desperately be looking for a turnaround in the upcoming season of the cash-rich tournament. This augurs well for Ponting.
PBKS finished in the ninth position of the table in the IPL earlier this year and will hope that bringing Ponting on board changes their fortunes somewhat. The Australian is known for his domineering style of coaching.
With the incumbent Trevor Bayliss apparently on his way out - if reports are anything to go by - Ponting should be the ideal replacement. The three-time ODI World Cup winner knows what it takes to forge a winning side.
#2 Mumbai Indians
Mumbai Indians (MI), for whom Ponting has both played and coached in the past, will be another side on the lookout for a good head coach for the upcoming IPL season. Just like PBKS, they had a horrible run last season.
MI ended as the wooden spooners of the 2024 edition of the IPL, and will desperately be hoping to add to their list of five titles when they come back in the 2025 season.
The change in captaincy from Rohit Sharma to Hardik Pandya must have affected the side a lot but if they bring Ponting back as their head coach for the upcoming season, they may be able to solve a lot of their problems.
#3 Gujarat Titans
Reports indicate that Gujarat Titans (GT) may be looking to phase out their incumbent head coach Ashish Nehra owing to their rather disappointing showing in IPL 2024, in which they ended up in the eighth position.
Nehra is known to be a positive influence on the GT squad and it is sad to see him being phased out, if the reports are to be believed. If Ponting were to come in, it could give the Titans a new lease of life.
The finalists of the 2023 edition of the IPL and the winners of the 2022 edition will desperately be seeking to go back to winning ways, and appointing Ponting at the helm is surely going to help them a lot.