Jeddah (Saudi Arabia): Wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant, who was released by his former franchise, Delhi Capitals (DC), is now in the auction pool, and several franchises are looking to add him to their rosters. Speculations are suggesting that Rishabh Pant might join Punjab Kings (PBKS), as he has a good relationship with the team's new head coach. Notably, Ricky Ponting stepped down from his position as head coach of Delhi Capitals after seven years.
Amidst all, a few days before the auction start, Pant sparked excitement among fans as he recently liked an Instagram post by Punjab Kings.
The Challenges 🎯
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) November 24, 2024
The Numbers 📊
The Strategies ♟️
And... sleepless nights 😴💭
It's time for Lights, Camera... Auction‼️💰 pic.twitter.com/7QM9JSh7Sy
Punjab Kings and the official social media handle of IPL shared an interview of the newly-appointed head coach with Ricky Ponting. Rishabh Pant had liked the post, which sparked speculation among fans about whether he would be going to the PBKS team ahead of IPL 2025.
Ponting, in his interview, said that he would love to learn about the culture of Punjab but his focus would be on turning the fortunes of the franchise.
Presenting 𝙿𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛'𝚜 𝙿𝚞𝚗𝚓𝚊𝚋 𝙿𝚛𝚘𝚓𝚎𝚌𝚝 😎
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) November 23, 2024
Head Coach @RickyPonting is all set to take centre stage at the #TATAIPLAuction for @PunjabKingsIPL 🙌
Watch 🎥 #TATAIPL
"Punjabi punter. I think I haven’t learnt any Punjabi yet. I’m obviously going there as a cricket coach to help the players with their game, and maybe they can teach me some Punjabi in return. I’m excited about this new phase in my IPL coaching career. It should be a lot of fun," Ponting said in the interview.
PBKS has to build a team from scratch with a purse of Rs 110.5 crore and will enter the auction with the most hefty amount. The franchise only retained two uncapped players in the names of Shashank Singh and Prabhsimran Singh.
While speaking with Star Sports, Ponting said, "I've been lucky to be around a few pretty successful teams. So MI for a few years and then DC, where we had a good run of making the playoffs there. And I liked the look of a few of the younger players in the Punjab Kings lineup. So that was the main attraction really but mainly, it was, to be able to start from scratch pretty much. The aim is to make the franchise one of the powerhouses of the IPL and to make it a really dynamic, fun-loving environment that everyone wants to be a part of."
While revealing his mindset, Ponting also highlighted the crucial aspects of taking care to have a successful auction.
"I think there are three most crucial things with a successful auction. One's definitely making sure you stick to your strategy and not getting off that early on. I think being really calm and clear at the auction table is also a really important thing. And then communication on the day because, you know, you're working with the analysts, you're working with your owners. Communication is vital,” Ponting added.
Punjab Kings have retained opener Prabhsimran Singh and middle-order batsman Shashank Singh and with a purse of Rs 110.5 crore, the biggest of all IPL teams, the team will be looking forward to assembling a strong squad at the auction table.
