"I am not contracted yet" - Ricky Ponting on his future with Delhi Capitals
Delhi Capitals head coach Ricky Ponting is confident the franchise will retain him for the next edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Under Ponting, the Capitals have gone from strength to strength. From finishing last in the points table, Delhi have made it to the playoffs in the last two seasons, including a final finish in the IPL 2020.
Ricky Ponting highlighted that he has enjoyed his stint in the IPL and working with young cricketers like Prithvi Shaw and Avesh Khan to name a few. Speaking on the Grade Cricketer podcast, the former Australia captain said:
"No, I am not contracted yet. I am not but I am pretty sure I will be in Delhi next year. I have loved the past four years I have had with them. From being last in the first season I coached them to come up and finish second third, I had a great time with them.
"Some of the young players I got the chance to work with, they have been exceptional and really good people," he added. "That's what I want to try and do to build these guys - Avesh Khan, Shreyas, Prithvi Shaw. We have had a system in the last three-four years and they have turned into really good into international players."
Ricky Pointing has enjoyed stellar success with the Delhi Capitals, shaping a culture among cricketers and playing an aggressive brand of cricket.
"Will look to bring back the majority of players" - Ricky Ponting
With the mega auction to follow ahead of the IPL 2022, franchises face the difficult task of retaining their cricketers, who have formed an integral part in the last couple of seasons.
Despite the policies in place, Ricky Ponting is hopeful that he will bring back the majority of the players for next season.
"For me, it's not about those big international names but if I can keep of those guys, its's great," Ponting said. "But the fringe players that we have had around, they have added so much to the team. When you see them in training, how they work and how much they enjoy, that is something I will like to recreate if possible. We will for sure look to bring back majority of them but with retention policies in place it is going to be a challenge."
The BCCI has confirmed that all eight existing IPL teams can retain a maximum of four players. As for the new franchises, they will be given the option of picking three players before the IPL 2022 mega auction.