Ricky Ponting at Idea Exchange: ‘Dhoni may be the only one in IPL who doesn’t seek advice from the dugout ’

By | April 7, 2025

Ricky Ponting on Coaching & Leadership

  • Coaching Philosophy: Emphasizes strong captain-coach relationship; believes the captain takes over once the game begins.
  • Why Shreyas Iyer? Chosen for his leadership and experience. Ponting has a long-standing working relationship with him from their Delhi Capitals days.
  • Tactical Inputs: Unlike Dhoni, most captains seek advice from the dugout. Ponting encourages dynamic communication, especially with the Impact Player rule in play.
  • Team Building: Heavy focus on preparation before the auction. Recruited support staff like bowling coach James Hopes. Wants ownership over cricketing decisions.

On Cricket Strategy & Evolution

  • Impact Player Rule: Feels it favors batters but believes it can be tactically used for bowlers too, citing Vyshak’s example.
  • Batting Skills vs. Bowling: Concerned that batting has evolved more than bowling in the IPL era. Misses the era of consistent yorker specialists like Bumrah and Malinga.
  • Spin Play: Believes batting against spinners has deteriorated; sees a tendency among modern batters to go too hard without skillful rotation.

On Indian Players & Test Cricket

  • Virat & Rohit: Champions shouldn’t be written off. Test cricket may be getting harder for them, but they still shine in white-ball formats.
  • Rahul Dravid Anecdote: Once advised Dravid not to retire. Later, Dravid returned the favor during Ponting’s retirement phase.
  • Test & ODI Format Concerns: Worries about the health of Test and 50-over cricket. Supports WTC but not the two-tier Test system.

Auction Strategy & Talent Scouting

  • Shift in Priorities: Less focus on stats, more on raw talent like clean ball-striking and potential (e.g., Priyansh Arya, Suryansh Shedge).
  • Talent Identification: Uses video scouting and intuition to judge player quality quickly. Praises the work of scouts.

Confidence, Preparation & Fielding

  • Confidence from Prep: Attributes success to thorough preparation. Tells young players to define how they want to be coached.
  • Fielding Mindset: Became a top fielder by choice and consistent practice. Took pride in contributing beyond batting.

On Dhoni & CSK

  • Dhoni at No.9: Sees no decline in Dhoni’s keeping. Respects CSK’s decisions due to their historic success.
  • Retirement Talks: Avoids speculating, saying Dhoni is still going strong and contributing significantly.