The Delhi Capitals (DC) management has decided to move on from their head coach Ricky Ponting, bringing an end to the seven-year partnership with the franchise before the next mega auction for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. It’s understood that the verdict has been made on the back of the Capitals failing to achieve the desired results.
Ricky Ponting took over the head-coach role of the franchise back in 2018, when the team was called ‘Delhi Daredevils’, and worked with the team for the last seven years. The beginning of the contract wasn’t smooth as the team finished with the wooden spoon in the very first year, before qualifying for the next three seasons in 2019, 2020, and 2021.
Even in 2020, when the tournament moved to United Arab Emirates, due to Covid, they became the runners-up, after losing the final to Mumbai Indians. But again the black days came back, as they failed to qualify for the last three years.
‘Thank you for everything, Coach!’- DC posted on social media regarding Ricky Ponting
In the recent IPL 2024, under Ricky Ponting’s coaching, the Capitals ended at the sixth position, winning and losing seven fixtures each in the edition. It seemed to have grown a smooth relationship too with the captain of the side- Rishabh Pant.
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The Delhi Capitals’ social media handle has looked back at the care, commitment, attitude, and effort the former Australia captain has made during his tenure.
‘As you move on as our head coach (Ricky Ponting), we’re finding it incredibly hard to put this down in words. The four things you told us about in every huddle – care, commitment, attitude, and effort – they sum up our seven summers together.’ DC addressed this in a social media post. ‘Seven summers of you being hands-on, but also hands-off, so that we could become better. As athletes, yes, but more importantly, as human beings.’
There have been times when Ponting was seen to make a sprint during the time-out to have a chat with the players, besides biting his nails in tense situations.
‘Seven summers of you reaching every training session first, and leaving last. Seven summers of you sprinting out of the dugout during strategic timeouts, and biting your nails off until there were none left.’
‘Seven summers of your dressing room speeches – the speeches, Oh! (Separate post for that loading) Seven summers of your hugs, shoulder pads, and fist pumps for us all – newcomer, superstar… and everyone in between.’ The post in the Delhi Capitals social media handle noted. ‘Thank you for everything, Coach! Like, you often closeout, ‘Let’s leave this here mate, grab a beer, get back to work tomorrow, yeah?’
With this decision, the coaching staff of the franchise is now comprised of the director of cricket- Sourav Ganguly, the assistant coach Pravin Amre, the bowling coach James Hopes, and the fielding coach Biju George.
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Meanwhile, with the announcement of Delhi Capitals moving away from Ricky Ponting as the head coach, Ganguly has made a wish to take the position from the next season of the event, as he looks forward to bringing new players into the squad.
‘I want to give a shot as the head coach. I will bring in some new players. Wanted to bring in Jamie Smith from England.’ The former India captain expressed to a local newspaper. ‘I wanted to test him out in Delhi’s SA20 franchise. He wanted to come in but the schedules did not match.’