Australia cricket great Ricky Ponting to coach IPL's Punjab Kings

MOHALI, India — Indian Premier League team Punjab Kings has hired Australia cricket great Ricky Ponting as head coach on a four-year contract, starting with the 2025 season.

Ponting has previously coached IPL teams Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals.

He led Delhi to three consecutive playoff spots from 2019 to 2021. Delhi finished fifth (2022), ninth (2023) and sixth this year, leading the franchise and Ponting to part ways.

Ponting coached Mumbai to the IPL title in 2015, a trophy he won as a player with the team in 2013.

“I am grateful to Punjab Kings for presenting me with the opportunity to be the new head coach," Ponting said. "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.”

Punjab has never won the IPL title, finishing runners-up in 2014.

Ponting is also head coach of Major League Cricket team Washington Freedom. It won the MLC title in July during his first campaign.