Ricky Ponting, the former captain of Australia, is the head coach of the Delhi Capitals IPL team. He is set to step down as head coach after the 2023 season. At least, that’s what it sounds like from the IPL news these days.
Ponting is said to have talked about this possibility with a small group of close friends. Although he hasn’t made an official choice yet, the former batting great is said to be “making up his mind.”
Under Ponting, Delhi came in eighth place in 2018, made the playoffs in 2019, came in second place in 2020, made the playoffs again in 2021, and settled for fifth place last year. The team led by David Warner is off to a terrible start this season. They have lost five games in a row. Warner has been scoring runs at the top of the order, but his strike rate of 116.92 and the lack of help from the other end have been disappointing.
Rishabh Pant Absence:
Before the season started, Warner was named captain because Rishabh Pant, the usual captain, was out of town. Axar Patel was named Warner’s deputy. The team keeps getting worse at bowling and hitting, and the middle order needs to be more assertive with Pant. The wicketkeeper-batsman’s shoes were challenging for the Capitals to fill, so they tried part-time wicketkeeper Sarfaraz Khan before adding young wicketkeeper Abhishek Porel from Bengal.
Sarfaraz was not good with the gloves, but Porel has been very good. However, he has scored only 33 runs in 4 games, which could be better. Only Axar (129 runs, strike rate of 165.38) has shown that he is willing to fight, and he keeps scoring crucial runs lower down the order at an impressive strike rate. DC’s bowling team, led by Anrich Nortje, keeps going hot and cold, but the batters have ruined the team’s season.
It seems possible that Ponting’s decision was also affected by Pant’s absence. The former captain of Australia liked the left-handed player and liked him even more after the thunder Down Under.
“Yes, Ponting is close to Pant and likes what he can do. “He became a bigger fan after Pant did well with the bat in the Test series against Australia,” a person who knows what’s going on said.
Saurav Ganguly as the coach in charge?
Ganguly is now the Director of Cricket at Delhi Capitals, but Ponting is still in charge of the teaching staff. Will Ganguly take over as head coach now that Ponting is set to leave? Parth Jindal, who has a 50% stake in Delhi Capitals and is also a co-owner, is expected to support the former captain of India for the job.
“If Parth Jindal gets his way, Ganguly will probably be in charge of the new coaching staff before the 2024 season,” the source said.
