Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has recently revealed why he left Delhi Capitals before the start of the Indian Premier League 2025 and took up the important responsibility of taking over as the head coach of the Punjab Kings team.

Let us tell you that Ricky Ponting spent 7 years of important time with the Delhi Capitals team from 2018 to 2024. Under the coaching of Ricky Ponting, the Delhi team qualified for the playoffs of the 2019, 2020 and 2021 seasons. Not only this, in the 2020 season, the team also made it to the finals for the first time. However, his tenure with the franchise ended in July 2024.

According to Times of India, Ricky Ponting said, ‘I feel that we had created a very good family atmosphere there. Like I said, I understood what they wanted from me. They told me that my availability was becoming a big problem. They wanted a full-time head coach. I could not agree to this. I am very disappointed that it ended but I know very well where they wanted to go.’

I had a great time with everybody I was there with: Ricky Ponting

Ricky Ponting further said, ‘All the people I was with there had a great time. We came to know through social media that the Delhi team wanted a coach who would stay with them all the time and it was very difficult for me to do this. I myself feel bad that I have left the Delhi team.

Punjab Kings called me to coach. I myself was under a lot of pressure about this thing. By the time I finished playing, I realized that now I cannot go back. Not as a player but as a coach I can join the team again. My plan was that I can return to this game once again as a coach with those against whom I have played cricket.