Rishabh Pant to Punjab Kings? India star likes Punjab's Ponting IPL auction post
The excitement in the lead-up to the IPL 2025 mega auction is palpable as all 10 franchises aim to build a strong team ahead of the new season. There is a lot of anticipation over which teams will acquire the services of which players. Especially with many star players being in the auction, they are expected to trigger intense bidding wars. India’s star wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant is also in the auction pool after being released by the Delhi Capitals. Pant sparked excitement among fans as he recently liked an Instagram post by Punjab Kings.
Punjab Kings and the official social media handle of IPL shared an interview of the newly-appointed head coach with Ricky Ponting. Rishabh Pant had liked the post, which sparked speculation among fans about whether he would be going to the PBKS team ahead of IPL 2025. PBKS have to build a team from scratch with a purse of Rs 110.5 crore and will enter the auction with the most hefty amount. The franchise only retained two uncapped players in the names of Shashank Singh and Prabhsimran Singh.
Rishabh Pant likes post
Ponting, in his interview, said that he would love to learn about the culture of Punjab but his focus would be on turning the fortunes of the franchise.
“Punjabi punter. I think I haven’t learnt any Punjabi yet. I’m obviously going there as a cricket coach to help the players with their game, and maybe they can teach me some Punjabi in return. I’m excited about this new phase in my IPL coaching career. It should be a lot of fun,” Ponting said in the interview.
“Young players in PBKS was major attraction”
Ponting revealed his goal with the franchise and said that he wants to build PBKS into one of the powerhouses of the league.
“Punjab Kings is a team that hasn’t had much success in the IPL so far. I’ve been fortunate to be part of some successful teams—MI for a few years and then DC, where we had a good play-off run. I like the look of some of the younger players in the Punjab Kings lineup, which was a major attraction for me. The goal is to build the franchise into one of the powerhouses of the IPL, starting almost from scratch. I also want to create a dynamic and fun environment that players and fans alike will enjoy. When people watch us play, I want them to see how much the team loves playing together,” he added.
Ponting joined Punjab just over two months after parting ways with Delhi Capitals, where he served for seven seasons. Ponting has signed a four-year contract till 2028 with Punjab Kings, a franchise with multiple owners.
“As an aggressive batter and captain, people might wonder if we’ll see an aggressive coach and bidder at the auction,” Ponting was asked.
“You might, especially since we have the biggest purse going in. However, there are three crucial aspects of a successful auction: sticking to your strategy, staying calm and clear at the table, and maintaining strong communication with the team, including analysts and owners,” Ponting said.
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