IPL: Will Ponting survive the Punjab King’s revolving door for coaches?

The head coach’s position at the Punjab Kings, the underperforming IPL franchise, has been quite the hot seat for the last 6–7 seasons.

It promises to be a tall order for Aussie veteran Ricky Ponting, therefore, to manage the expectations as the new team boss. An old hand in the IPL ecosystem too, he was named as the team coach on Thursday, 19 September, for the next four years.

The sequence of big names who preceded Ponting makes the management’s desperation clear — he replaces fellow Australian Trevor Bayliss (two-time IPL winner with the Kolkata Knight Riders), who was in charge of the Mohali-based team in 2023–24. Before him, they had Anil Kumble for three seasons (2020–22), and before Kumble, Mike Hesson (2019) and Brad Hodge (2018). Yet, it’s been exactly 10 years since the Punjab Kings, then known as the Kings XI Punjab, made the finals.

It’s against this backdrop that Ponting, who served the Delhi Capitals for seven years with distinction, takes charge of the franchise. The Kings are not what one might call a plum assignment, with frequent chopping and changing of the squad as well as reports of managerial interference frequent.

The former master batter, who has been pursued by other IPL teams as well, must have laid the precondition of a longer tenure on the table. Nothing succeeds like success in the world of franchise leagues.    

 ‘’I am grateful to the Punjab Kings for presenting me with the opportunity to be the new head coach. I am excited to take up the new challenge,” Ponting was quoted as saying in a media release.

“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,” he added. “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.’’

A turnaround for the Delhi Capitals too?

Known as someone who doesn't pull any punches, Ponting received a carte blanche from the Capitals‘ co-owners during his 2018–24 sojourn with them — a rather long period in the life of a IPL coach.

The first half of his tenure saw the rebranded Delhi team turn a corner, as they made the play-offs in three consecutive seasons and entered the finals for the first time in 2020. A sudden dip in their performance then saw the blue shirts finish fifth in 2022, ninth in 2023 and sixth earlier this year.

The Australian called the shots at the Delhi Capitals despite the presence of former India captain Sourav Ganguly as a mentor (he now replaces Ponting as coach). How much say and leeway will he have with the Kings?

Ponting built up the team around an Indian core of then-captain Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant and Prithvi Shaw. Ponting’s remarkable chemistry with Pant, in particular, was evident during the wicketkeeper’s road to recovery from a disastrous car accident. Can he establish a similar connection with his new side?

Meanwhile, the team co-owned by Ness Wadia, Mohit Burman and Preity Zinta must play their cards carefully at the mega auction later this year, in terms of who they hold on to and what new talent they acquire.

For now, veteran Shikhar Dhawan — who led the squad last season — has stepped down from all forms of cricket, leaving the Kings in search of a younger captain who can serve for the next three-year cycle.

Changes all around

The upcoming cycle is set to see a major churn among coaches and support staff for the Rajasthan Royals as well, which announced former India opener Vikram Rathour as the new batting coach.

No prizes for guessing that Rahul Dravid, back as head coach at the Royals, wants to consolidate the partnership that elevated India to the top of the rankings in all three formats during their stint together. This duo led the country to the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 title earlier this year.

Welcoming Rathour to the franchise, Dravid said: “Having worked closely with Vikram for many years, I can confidently say that his technical expertise, calm demeanour and deep understanding of Indian conditions make him a perfect fit for the Royals. Together, we’ve built a strong rapport, guiding India to key successes, and I’m thrilled to reunite with him.’’