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Punjab Kings suffer blow as Ricky Ponting's 2 key coaches quit

The Punjab Kings franchise faces significant coaching upheaval ahead of the IPL 2027 season after two key members of Ricky Ponting’s support staff announced their departures. James Hopes, the fast-bowling coach, and Brad Haddin, who oversaw fielding, have both left the team, forcing Ponting to take the lead in recruiting replacements before the December auction.

The departures come after a mixed IPL 2026 campaign for PBKS, which finished fifth in the points table with 15 points from 14 matches—a net run rate of +0.309. Though they started strongly with wins over Gujarat Titans, Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians, and Lucknow Super Giants, a late slump saw them lose five consecutive matches before recovering with a final league-stage victory over LSG.

The franchise now must address not only the loss of Hopes and Haddin but also the vacancy left by Sairaj Bahutule, who joined the Indian team’s coaching staff under Gautam Gambhir.

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