'Only he could have pulled that off': IPL players were on a plane about to leave India. Ricky Ponting convinced them to stay
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It has been revealed that former Australian cricket captain and Punjab Kings coach Ricky Ponting convinced his players to stay in India and wait for the resumption of the Indian Premier League (IPL) after a ceasefire was called.
Because of heightened tensions between India and Pakistan and air raid warnings in areas near Dharamsala, Punjab's match against Delhi was abandoned midway through the first innings last Thursday.
The IPL was subsequently suspended for a week on Friday, with many Australian players and coaches travelling home for security reasons.
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Ricky Ponting during the 2025 IPL match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings. Pankaj Nangia via Getty Images
But after a ceasefire was announced between India and Pakistan on Saturday, Ponting — who was seated on a plane ready to return to Australian shores — reportedly encouraged Punjab's overseas players to disembark and remain in Delhi despite the volatile situation.
With a ceasefire announced, the tournament could resume as early as Thursday.
But with 16 games still to be played, it is not known how many foreign players will return to see out the season.
According to a report in the Times of India, Australian players Xavier Bartlett and Aaron Hardie were given pep talks by Ponting before agreeing to follow the 50-year-old's lead and remain with the rest of the team.
Ponting then called several of his players bound for other international flights to encourage them to stay behind too.
Because of Ponting's actions, most of Punjab's foreign players will be available for the IPL's resumption if the league restarts when expected.
Australian players Mitchell Starc and Marnus Stoinis arrive home from India. Nine
"All PBKS (Punjab) foreign players barring Marco Jansen never left India," Rajasthan Royals player Bharat Sharma told the Press Trust of India.
"Ponting deboarded the flight home after the ceasefire announcement and gave a pep talk to players, ensuring they all don't take a flight back home from Delhi on Saturday night."
Punjab CEO Satish Menon praised Ponting's leadership, stating that only someone of the cricket legend's nature could have had such an effect on the players.
"It shows Ponting's character. Only he could have pulled that off," he told news magazine India Today.
Punjab is in the race to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2014, with Ponting hoping to end the franchise's trophy drought in the league.
Just hours after the ceasefire was declared, both India and Pakistan accused each other of violating their agreement through continued strikes. The instability of the truce continues to be a concern.
