Ricky Ponting has come to Punjab Kings’ aid with the IPL 2025 set to resume later this month. The PBKS head coach stepped to ensure their overseas stars are on board when the campaign resumes. Ponting himself was on the way to Australia when he deferred his travel to rally the team together.
Ricky Ponting steps out of flight to Australia, rallies Punjab Kings ahead of IPL 2025 return
Chaos reigned among camps after the IPL 2025 was suspended for a week. Punjab Kings saw their match against the Delhi Capitals called off midway due to security concerns in Dharamsala. The franchise was then evacuated to Delhi via a special Vande Bharat.
The BCCI advised teams to travel home amid the ongoing escalations on the border. Ricky Ponting, the PBKS head coach, had boarded his flight from Delhi to return to Australia. However, the moment ceasefire was achieved, Ponting and assistant coach Brad Haddin both agreed to return, reveals PBKS CEO Satish Menon.
“Kudos to Ricky. He was going home. He even boarded the flight, but the moment we sent him the message that a ceasefire has been announced, he returned. Brad Haddin (assistant coach) is also in,” Menon told TOI.
Punjab players were keen to leave: Reports
Punjab Kings, however, had already seen their players return home. Ponting stepped in to give a pep talk, calm the overseas contingent and get them on board to return to India for the remainder of the tournament. Xavier Barlett and Marcus Stoinis among others are already home but will come back as soon as BCCI announces the revised IPL 2025 schedule.
“Our boys will return. Ricky and Brad have set an example. We are waiting for official instructions from the BCCI, and then only will we reach out to our players,” said Menon.
Reports suggested that the PBKS overseas contingent, led by Stoinis, were keen to leave the country after the game against Delhi Capitals in Dharamsala was aborted. The HPCA Stadium is 200km away from Jammu, where Pakistan had sent a hoard of jets and projectiles.
Ponting’s aid comes in handy in what has been a promising campaign for the Punjab Kings so far. The Shreyas Iyer-led outfit are third in the IPL points table with 15 points. They are in contention to qualify for the playoffs for the first time sicne 2014.
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