Former India cricketer Sunil Joshi has stepped down from his role with the Punjab Kings (PBKS) ahead of the next IPL season. Joshi, who was part of the support staff under head coach Ricky Ponting, reportedly informed the franchise that he won’t be available for the upcoming season.
Why Sunil Joshi left Punjab Kings?
According to a report by Cricbuzz, Joshi is likely to take up a new role at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru. At PBKS, he worked as the spin bowling coach.
A Punjab Kings official confirmed his departure, saying, “He’s informed us about his unavailability for the coming season. He’s a great guy and we’ve had a good working relationship with him. But we respect his decision and don’t want to stand in the way of his career growth.”
The report also mentioned that Joshi has written to Ponting about his decision. While Ponting couldn’t be reached for comment, it’s understood that he had a good relationship with Joshi and would have liked him to continue. Still, Ponting is said to have appreciated Joshi’s choice and supported his move, recognising the opportunity at the BCCI CoE.
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This isn’t Joshi’s first stint with PBKS. He was previously with the franchise during Anil Kumble’s time as head coach, before moving on to become the chief selector for India and later a member of the selection panel. He also briefly served as head coach of the Uttar Pradesh state team.
Joshi, now 55, played 15 Tests and 69 ODIs for India between 1996 and 2001. As of now, he hasn't publicly commented on his next move.
PBKS' performance in IPL 2025
Shreyas Iyer-led Punjab Kings had a memorable outing in the last edition of the tournament; they won nine matches out of their 14 outings. The franchise's campaign ended after losing the final against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad