Legendary Australian cricketer Ricky Ponting has all but confirmed his return to the Indian Premier League (IPL) after parting ways with Delhi Capitals (DC). Delhi sacked Ponting after IPL 2024 after six years went by without a title.
Well, Ponting has now hinted at joining one of the most loved franchises in the tournament ahead of the upcoming IPL 2025. Even the former Delhi Capitals (DC) and Mumbai Indians (MI) head coach also revealed that they will be signing the deal in the coming weeks, hinting at joining Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
Ricky Ponting set to return to IPL, with few roles available across teams
KKR are facing a major reshuffle as they prepare for IPL 2025, with key positions up for grabs in their coaching staff. After clinching the IPL 2024 title, KKR are on the hunt for a new mentor following the exit of Gautam Gambhir, who has now taken over the reins as the head coach of the Indian cricket team.
Gambhir’s departure leaves a major void in the Kolkata franchise but that’s not all as the three-time IPL champions have also lost their fielding coach Ryan Ten Doeschate and assistant coach Abhishek Nayar. They have joined Gambhir in the Indian team’s coaching staff.
Rumours are doing the rounds that KKR is looking to bring in some of the coaching giants to fill these crucial positions ahead of the upcoming mega auction IPL 2025. According to recent reports, the franchise has set its sights on South African legend Jacques Kallis and Ponting to replace Gambhir as their mentor.
Kallis, who was already a part of the KKR as a player and batting advisor, is likely to rejoin the team ahead of the upcoming season. However, it is not certain whether the Proteas great will join the KKR coaching team headed by Chandrakant Pandit as a batting coach or mentor.
Ricky Ponting hints at joining KKR ahead of IPL 2025
Now, Ponting has revealed that a few IPL teams have approached him, and only Punjab Kings (PBKS) are reportedly looking for a new coach. However, KKR are looking for a mentor, and the former two-time World Cup-winning captain could be in talks with them to replace Gambhir as their mentor.
Ricky Ponting said on the Sky Sports podcast: “An international role is not what awaits me now. The last two years have been a lot busier than I wanted. I have also been training in the MLC this year, which was a lot of fun. I will continue to do that. It was only three and a half weeks. I have also finished with DC, so there might be some other opportunities in the IPL in the next few weeks. We will see.”
🎙️RICKY PONTING: “There might be some opportunities in the IPL and we’ll see what happens in the next few weeks.” 👀
📰 KKR is once again interested in Ricky Ponting.( Hindustan Times).
Ricky Ponting to join KKR? image.twitter.com/q1xWluRAtD— KKR Vibration (@KnightsVibe) September 11, 2024
Notably, Punjab Kings (PBKS) are reportedly looking for a new coach but they want an Indian coach for the team while DC is yet to decide who will replace Ponting. On the other hand, Rahul Dravid also returned to Rajasthan Royals (RR) as head coach last week.