Punjab Kings (PBKS) head coach, Ricky Ponting, has made it clear that the team will be entirely under his control in the 2025 IPL season, with his authority taking precedence over the owners. Ponting, who previously served as the head coach of Delhi Capitals (DC) for seven years from 2018 to 2024, has now moved on to PBKS.

During his tenure with DC, the former Australian captain led the team to its best-ever finish in 2020, where they were runners-up. The franchise also made it to the playoffs in 2019 and 2021, but a playoff drought followed from 2022 to 2024, which ultimately led to Ponting parting ways with DC. He now takes the helm of Punjab Kings, who have had a historically poor IPL record, having qualified for the playoffs just twice in 17 seasons.

“We’ve had the necessary discussions, and I’m pleased with how the auction went. But moving forward, even though they are the owners, this is my team now. They need to understand that this is the new approach, and we’re doing things completely differently from how it’s been done in the past.”

He continued, “The owners, the administrators, and the board are fully aware of how I plan to approach things. I made it clear from the start. Having been in the IPL for 10 years, I’ve heard a lot about how things have been perceived at this franchise, and I told them—if they want it to be different, they need to make it different.”

Ricky Ponting added “Things are going to be very different how we’re perceived, how people see us, how we present ourselves, our training methods, our style of play, and the leadership. Everything is going to change. When it comes to the auction strategy, if I’m going to rebuild this franchise and make it the most successful it’s ever been, I have to start with the right Indian players.”

Ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, PBKS retained key players Prabhsimran Singh and Shashank Singh, and made strategic acquisitions, securing Arshdeep Singh and Yuzvendra Chahal for 18 crores each during the auction.