Despite having the opportunity to return home to Australia, Punjab Kings head coach Ricky Ponting made a bold decision to stay back, stepping off a plane filled with anxious passengers at the last moment.
Choosing to remain in Delhi, Ponting not only led by example but also played a key role in reassuring Punjab Kings’ overseas players, who were understandably unsettled by the threat of a potential full-scale conflict between two nuclear-armed nations.
With the IPL expected to resume later in the week, Ponting worked to convince them to return to India.
“It shows Ponting`s character. Only he could have pulled that off. Not only he voluntarily decided to stay back, he gave a motivational talk to the foreign players who had left for their respective destinations but now will be joining the team at the earliest,” Punjab Kings CEO Satish Menon told PTI.
Grateful to all for swift action ensuring everyone’s safety! 🙌🏻
Standing together – Desh ke Vaaste 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/o9R4RFxXxC
— Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) May 9, 2025
Due to heightened security protocols at Delhi Airport, franchise officials had to make numerous urgent calls to ensure that Ponting`s luggage was removed from the departing aircraft after his last-minute decision to stay back.
The group of foreign players, already rattled by the abandonment of their May 8 fixture, undertook a tense road and train journey from Dharamsala to Delhi. This group included Australian cricketers Marcus Stoinis, Aaron Hardie, Josh Inglis, and Xavier Bartlett.
Meanwhile, South Africa’s Marco Jansen and Afghanistan’s Azmatullah Omarzai have temporarily stationed themselves in Dubai, which offers easy access for a quick return to India once the tournament resumes.
“The foreign players are not used to something like this (war like situation). So, it was natural for them to feel anxious. Led by Stoinis, they all wanted to leave at the earliest and understandably so. But Ponting has convinced them to come back post ceasefire which I think is remarkable,” said a source in the team.
With the resumption of the IPL 2025 set to be officially announced soon, Punjab are in a strong position, having won seven matches out of 11 so far.
In the debut season under the leadership duo of Shreyas Iyer and Ponting, Punjab find itself on the verge of a historic achievement, potentially securing their first playoff appearance since 2014.
Meanwhile, Delhi Capitals were the other team left stranded in Dharamsala following the match abandonment. The clash was halted with Punjab at a dominant 122 for 1 in 10.1 overs. The game is set to resume from that exact point, though the venue and date are yet to be confirmed.
(With inputs from PTI)
Leave a Reply