Ricky Ponting has parted ways with Delhi Capitals

Delhi Capitals officially announced their parting of ways with head coach Ricky Ponting on Saturday.

"Seven summers of you being hands-on, but also hands-off, so that we could become better. As athletes, yes, but more importantly, as human beings. Seven summers of you reaching every training session first, and leaving last. Seven summers of you sprinting out of the dugout during strategic timeouts and biting your nails off until there were none left. Seven summers of your dressing room speeches. Seven summers of your hugs, shoulder pats and fist pump for us all-newcomers, superstars… and everyone in-between," the Capitals expressed in a heartfelt social media post.

Ponting, who took over coaching duties in 2018, guided the Capitals to their only IPL final appearance in 2020, where they finished as runners-up to the Mumbai Indians.

The franchise is currently contemplating whether to appoint a new head coach or consider Team Director Sourav Ganguly for the position. Another critical issue under discussion is player retention, with ongoing deliberations regarding the quota of four players. This decision may necessitate the release of either Australia’s Jake Fraser-McGurk or South Africa’s Tristan Stubbs due to constraints on overseas player slots.

Despite a challenging start in the 2024 season with just one win in five games, the Delhi Capitals rallied strongly, winning six of their last eight matches. However, their playoff hopes were dashed due to Net Run Rate considerations, culminating in a sixth-place finish on the points table.