Reports | Delhi Daredevils and Rajasthan Royals want Ricky Ponting as coach
According to reports, Ricky Ponting could soon return to the Indian Premier League as the head coach of Delhi Daredevils for the 2018 season. Like the Delhi based team, Rajasthan Royals are also keen to get the former Australian skipper’s services in the upcoming edition of the league.
As per a report in TOI, Ponting is all set to replace Paddy Upton as Delhi Daredevils coach in the 11th season of the cash-rich league. He gave his services as a coach to Mumbai Indians and he led the team to the title in first of his two-year stint in 2015 and 2016.
The Daredevils have been the most inconsistent side in the 10-year history of the IPL and they will have to work hard to rope in Ponting as the Royals, who are making their return to IPL after being suspended for two years over spot-fixing allegations, are also showing interest in signing the Australian legend.
"Ponting is most likely to be signed up by the Daredevils as their next coach. However, apart from the Daredevils, he's also being wooed by the Rajasthan Royals (who'll return to the IPL after a two-year ban due to the spot-fixing scandal)," a source close to the developments told TOI on Thursday.
News of Ponting’s linked-up with Daredevils comes after a day after the Delhi-based franchise decided to part ways with head coach Upton and director TA Sekar, who is likely headed to Mumbai.
"We're in talks with several people," said Daredevils CEO Hemant Dua when asked about the franchise's interest in Ponting.
A source, though, claimed that a formal announcement should be coming soon.
Earlier this year, Daredevils lost the services of Rahul Dravid as a chief mentor as he opted to remain coach of the India A and India Under-19 sides. According to the new conflict of interest regulations, Dravid couldn’t offer his services to any IPL franchise while working with the national side.
