Ricky Ponting was appointed coach of Punjab Kings and provided a warchest of funds for his first auction with the new franchise, receiving the go-signal to build from scratch as the Ness Wadia and Preity Zinta-owned team looked to refresh in pursuit of a first IPL title.

A month before the Indian Premier League 2025 auction, Ness Wadia and Preity Zinta-owned Punjab Kings appointed legendary Australian skipper Ricky Pointing as their head coach and gave him all the freedom to build a team from scratch.

With Ricky Ponting at the helm, Punjab Kings have a golden opportunity to reshape their squad and aim for their elusive IPL title. Known for his tactical brilliance and ability to inspire teams, Ponting will focus on building a balanced unit with a mix of explosive batters,

Going all in for Iyer meant PBKS had to think before bidding for Pant when he entered the auction. When Pant's name popped up for auction, PBKS kept their paddle low throughout the bid as many franchises went after him.

Check out what Punjab Kings' head coach Ricky Ponting said about his side signing Shreyas Iyer in the IPL 2025 mega auction only on CricTracker

Punjab Super Kings did not bid for Rishabh Pant, sold for ₹27 crore, due to signing Shreyas Iyer. Coach Ricky Ponting acknowledged Pant’s talent but stated they weren’t interested in a bidding war.