Ponting, who led Australia to two World Cup victories, joined the team in 2019. Although Delhi Capitals reached their first-ever IPL final in 2021, the team’s performances in subsequent seasons have not lived up to expectations.
“The top brass of Delhi Capitals have intimated Ricky that they aren’t happy that the team didn’t win a championship in seven years and they are trying to look at rejigging the support staff.
He won’t be continuing next year,” a source close to DC management told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
Ponting’s departure from Delhi Capitals (DC) as head coach has left the franchise with some important decisions to make. The team management wanted Ponting to have a greater role in the auction process and team building, instead of joining just a couple of weeks before the IPL season.
DC now faces the choice of either hiring a new head coach or asking Team Director Sourav Ganguly to take on the additional responsibility. Praveen Amre, the dedicated assistant coach, is expected to continue in his role.
The co-owners of DC, JSW and GMR group, are planning a meeting either at the end of this month or early next month to discuss the future course of action. Another crucial topic on the agenda is player retention.
If the number of retentions remains at four, DC will have to choose between Australia’s Jake-Fraser McGurk and South Africa’s Tristan Stubbs, as only one overseas slot will be available.
Regarding the Indian core, the choices seem straightforward — captain Rishabh Pant, all-rounder Axar Patel, and wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav — assuming they are willing to be retained.
However, with a mega auction scheduled for 2025, there is a possibility that some retainable stars from each franchise may prefer to re-enter the auction pool to assess their true market value.
