“It’s my team now”: PBKS coach Ricky Ponting sets new guidelines for IPL 2025 as owners reduce involvement

Punjab Kings head coach Ricky Ponting has firmly asserted his authority over the team, implementing new rules ahead of IPL 2025. The former Australian captain was brought in to revive the franchise’s fortunes, becoming their sixth head coach in seven years. Ponting said that team owners will not have direct communication with the players.

Speaking on The Howie Games podcast, Ponting shared that he had some important discussions at the auction bench, specifically with the Punjab Kings (PBKS) owners. Ponting said there are four important owners of PBKS, he considers the team to be under his leadership, and the owners have to accept that. He appreciated their passion for the team and their strong desire to win, especially since PBKS has never won an IPL title. While Ponting is open to receiving questions from the owners, he gets upset when they ignore him and question the players directly.

Ponting - " Its my team now #PBKS . Owners are very passionate and they want success but the communication directly to the players will be through me and not them . They can ask me questions thats ok " . Ponting 🔥 #IPL2025 . VC : howie games yt pic.twitter.com/JA4pNDp1to

— AARYAN (@AARYAN0791) February 4, 2025

“It’s my team now. Owners are very passionate and they want success but the communication directly to the players will be through me and not them. They can ask me questions that’s okay,” Ponting said.

Punjab Kings (PBKS) are in desperate need of stability, and if there’s one person who can provide that, it’s Ricky Ponting. The Australian legend has a proven track record in the IPL, having been a part of Mumbai Indians (MI) title-winning campaigns in 2013 and 2015. He was there as a player but was moved to the support staff when his batting form went down in the dumps. In 2015, he helped guide Mumbai Indians to the title as their head coach, building a balanced team with a good mix of local players.

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