Ricky Ponting drops a massive statement on Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer, Check inside what the head Coach of Punjab kings said

In his first assignment with Punjab Kings, new head coach Ricky Ponting explained how the franchise would seek to retain players while revealing plans for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction which will take place later this year. Every team released its retention list on Thursday, 31 October. Despite the better part of the two uncapped players, Prabhsimran Singh and Shashank Singh, being the only ones Ponting and Punjab decided to hold the auction with considerable money and a fresh outlook towards squad construction.

It is an audacious proposition from the Australian great, with international names such as South African fast bowler Kagiso Rabada, English all-rounder Sam Curran, and Arshdeep Singh of India being released by the franchise of Punjab ahead of the coming season of IPL.

“The thing I’m looking forward to the most is a clean slate. That starts with the retention list we have released today. Our game plan is simple, we are not coming into the auction with the squad we had two years ago and the two uncapped players that we have signed and the biggest amount available for spending, so that it is possible to build the entire team,” Ponting said, as quoted by ICC.

Ponting expressed his desire for Punjab Kings, who have not made it to the IPL playoffs since 2014 to play a different style of cricket.

“There are a couple of new coaching staff who have joined Punjab Kings. For me, the priority is to change this franchise. I want it to be such a way that things will not only be said but there will be changes that will be seen in the results. I want us to be the most active and fun to watch team in the entire IPL,” Ponting further stated.

He also expressed his disappointment with other franchises, which have allowed some top players such as KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, and Shreyas Iyer, to go.

“Here, there are a lot of good players. Some of the non-Indian retentions troubled me a little bit, Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant being put in the auction even to the extent of KL Rahul, I mean. It appears some franchises are looking to go a certain different route,” said Ponting.

Ponting made these statements as he commented on the player retentions of some franchises which were not even Indian.

Ponting ended this session by emphasizing the importance of team balance relative to strategy in the recruitment of players.

I said that if you want to get some primary target, you will have to figure out, and most importantly, limit your budget – the number one rules having a successful auction strategy, after which is what we, as a coaching team, would assist in executing.