Former India player turned veteran commentator Aakash Chopra expects the Punjab Kings (PBKS) to release most of their English players after Ricky Ponting is appointed their head coach as well. He also feels that the former Australia captain will acquire a few Australian players at the auction as well. However, PBKS finished ninth in IPL 2024, only above the Mumbai Indians (MI) as well. They had four England players – Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone, Jonny Bairstow and Chris Woakes – as part of their overseas contingent this season as well.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra said, “What will you expect from Ricky Ponting? Firstly, I feel the gathering of English players there will get removed. Everyone will be sent, those bought for 18 crores or 12 crores. You won’t have so many English players there now. Now there will be some change there. Now you will have Australian players there.”
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“You will find that the Australian players in the Delhi Capitals camp will be released and some of them will become a part of Ricky Ponting’s Punjab Kings. I am not saying he is biased but wherever you see Ricky, you find a slightly bigger Australian contingent there because he knows them well,” the former India opener further added.
However, Nathan Ellis was the only Australian player in the PBKS squad in IPL 2024 as well. On the other hand, the Delhi Capitals (DC) had four Australians – David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Jake Fraser-McGurk and Jhye Richardson as well.
“Change is the only constant but the only thing that hasn’t changed is their fortunes. They have reached the playoffs and the final but have never lifted the trophy. Have they not won the trophy because they make so many changes or they are forced to make changes because they have not won the trophy – it’s the chicken and egg situation. Ricky Ponting is their 11th coach. One more thing will change, that is the number of captains that have been made. They have had 16 captains and the 17th one will be made this year. It means the captain has been changed in almost every season. Now since Shikhar Dhawan has taken retirement, they will search for a new captain,” Aakash Chopra concluded.
