"We have a few Australians and I’ll probably get some criticism" - Ricky Ponting on PBKS' new overseas core
Punjab Kings (PBKS) head coach Ricky Ponting admits that he is expecting backlash for forging the franchise's overseas core through Australian players. The 2014 Indian Premier League (IPL) finalists, who came into the auction with the biggest purse, roped in five Australian players.
PBKS had the task of forming their entire squad from scratch after retaining only Prabhsimran Singh and Shashank Singh after the 2024 campaign. They went hard in the marquee sets, bringing back Arshdeep Singh through RTM, and breaking the bank for Shreyas Iyer.
PBKS roped in three Australian all-rounders in the form of Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, and Aaron Hardie. The franchise also bought pace bowler Xavier Bartlett, and wicket-keeper batter, Josh Inglis. Nathan Ellis was also close to re-joining the side, but ultimately went to the Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
“We have (a few Australians) and I’ll probably get some criticism. I think we have got five Aussies out of our complement of eight overseas. But when you look at the slots that we needed, the players that we have got fitted into those roles perfectly," Ponting said, via News 18.
“To have Marcus Stoinis and Glenn Maxwell back to Kings is huge as they have both played here in the past. A couple of new guys, including Xavier Bartlett, Aaron Hardie, and Josh Inglis, are coming into the IPL for the first time, which is also really exciting for us," he added.
The other overseas signings made by PBKS include all-rounders Marco Jansen and Azmatullah Omarzai, and New Zealand pacer Lockie Ferguson.
"We’ve got the players" - Ricky Ponting confident with new-look PBKS squad
Ricky Ponting reunites with several players with whom he has worked in the past, with the most notable one being Shreyas Iyer. The 29-year-old comes in as the favorite to lead the franchise, having led DC to the finals of the 2020 edition with Ponting as head coach. He also led KKR to the title in the 2024 season.
“I am (ready for the season) now. Now, that all the hard work is done really. For the auctions, there’s a lot of hard work that’s gone into the two days of the auction. We’ve got the players. Now, it’s over to me and the other coaching staff to make sure that when we get there in March sometime, that we are ready to go on and win the IPL," Ponting said (as per the aforementioned source).
PBKS are still seeking their first title, with their best performance coming in the 2014 season when they made it to the finals. They finished ninth in the 2024 edition, with five wins to their name.