Punjab Kings head coach Ricky Ponting stated that he has nothing to prove to anyone with his team’s success in IPL 2025, even drawing reference to his time at former franchise Delhi Capitals. As PBKS prepare for their high-stakes Qualifier 1 clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on May 29 in Mullanpur, Ponting stressed that the team’s impressive campaign has been the result of collective effort and credited the franchise for giving him full autonomy during the mega auction and in selecting his coaching staff.
After spending eight seasons as head coach of Delhi Capitals—without being able to guide them to an IPL title—Ponting was appointed as head coach of a largely revamped Punjab Kings. Under his guidance and Shreyas Iyer’s captaincy, the team reached the playoffs for the first time in 11 years, their last appearance being in 2014 when they finished runners-up. Speaking to PTI ahead of the big clash on Thursday, Ponting reflected on his DC stint and highlighted the key elements behind PBKS’s strong 2025 campaign.
“I’m not sure if I had a point to prove. With the good squads that I had in DC, it was pretty evident to see where we made it with good players in that squad. We had three years in a row where we made the playoffs. One of those was into a final that Mumbai beat us in,” Ponting said.