In a surprising turn of events, the Delhi Capitals (DC) announced on Saturday their separation from head coach Ricky Pontingending a seven-year association ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 players’ auction.

Ricky Ponting’s Delhi Capitals journey

Ponting joined the Delhi franchise, then known as the Delhi Daredevilsin 2018. Despite initial struggles, which saw them finish last in his debut season, Ponting gradually steered the team towards success. Under his leadership, the Capitals reached the playoffs for three consecutive seasons (2019, 2020 and 2021), culminating in their maiden IPL final appearance in 2020 under the captaincy of Shreyas Iyer.

However, the team’s performance dipped in the following three years, failing to qualify for the playoffs. This lack of recent success seems to have prompted the mutual decision to part ways.

Delhi Capitals express gratitude towards Ponting

The Delhi-based IPL franchise released a heartfelt social media post acknowledging Ponting’s contributions. The statement highlighted the core values Ponting instilled in the team – care, commitment, attitude and effort – and praised his dedication, leadership, and motivational presence. They fondly reminisced about his commitment, from being the first to arrive at training sessions to his passionate sideline demeanour.

The franchise confirmed retaining the rest of the coaching staff, including director of cricket Sourav Gangulyassistant coach Pravin Amrebowling coach James Hopesand fielding coach I was George.

Ponting’s legacy

While Delhi Capitals fell short of IPL glory under Ponting’s guidance, his leadership undeniably transformed the franchise. He leaves behind a legacy of development, taking the team from the bottom of the table to the cusp of an IPL championship. Cricket fans eagerly await news of Delhi Capitals’ next head coach and their performance in the forthcoming IPL season.