Not Always Calm: Ricky Ponting Opens How He Keeps Emotions In Check

Punjab Kings (PBKS) head coach Ricky Ponting's team just fell short of their maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) title, succumbing to a loss against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the final on June 3 (Tuesday). Unlike his playing days, Ponting has always maintained a calm demeanour in the dugout regardless of the way his team has performed.

PBKS co-owner Preity Zinta took it upon herself to ask how Ponting manages to do this. 

"How does somebody be so aggressive on the ground and as a person, but be so calm and chilled out?" Zinta asked in a video posted by PBKS.

Ponting responded, saying, "You need to come and sit next to me in the dugout sometimes because you will see that it's not always calm. Look, I'm an aggressive-natured person, especially when it's cricket time."

Ponting added that he is relaxed outside of cricket, but when it comes down to business, it is not the case.

"I'll have a laugh and a joke and a coffee and a sit down with anyone and talk about anything outside of cricket time. But when it's cricket time, it's my job to bring high performance to this team. And so I'm not gonna waste a minute, I'm not gonna waste a day, I'm not gonna waste a training session where I'm not trying to be the best coach that I can be and make every single player that's playing with me the best player that they can be," he said.

PBKS finished top of the IPL 2025 points table, but lost Qualifier 1 to RCB, and beat Mumbai Indians (MI) in Qualifier 2 to set up the final against RCB. They lost the final by six runs.