What Does Ricky Ponting Bring to the Table for DD?
Ever since Ricky Ponting took over as the head coach of DD, he has infused an aggressive mindset into the team. With an unmatched temperament and a positive attitude, Punter has caught the attention of all.
That kind of a mindset does not come as a surprise from someone who has led the Australian team to glory on multiple occasions, and has always led from the front. One of the greatest captains the world has ever seen, and a champion coach, Ponting is now thoroughly invested in DD.
It’s invaluable for a team brimming with young talent to have a coach they can look up to, respect, and learn from. In Ricky Ponting, they have just that.
During a recent press conference, Shreyas Iyer sounded optimistic about the team and the preparations going into the season, with Punter’s presence adding a lot of value to the DD outfit.
Shreyas Iyer on Ponting’s Approach
Ricky Ponting is a champion and a leader in the truest sense of those terms. It’s fair to say he knows a thing or two about inspiring his men and getting the best out of them. It’s no different with the DD squad.
"It has been really good (with Ponting). He is very aggressive and has got a positive frame of mind. When he came in and gave a speech to all of us, it really fired us, we had goosebumps," said Iyer.
There is a stark difference between going out there not to lose, and going out there to win and to make a statement. Guess what kind of cloth Ponting’s cut out from? By extension, guess what kind of cloth the DD team under him is going to be cut out from?
“His frame of mind was naturally about winning. When he came in, he had just one mindset at the time: that to win and he elaborated a lot on that. When I say aggression, he gives us freedom as well. He has asked us to play our own game,” added the youngster.
Some players need to be left on their own. They require their own freedom and space to succeed, and Ponting realises that. The DD squad does have some mavericks, and Ponting will ensure that these players get the freedom to express themselves, without instilling in them the fear of failure. The skipper, Gautam Gambhir also shares a similar mentality. He has advocated providing the hard-hitters such as Munro, Maxwell and Pant utmost liberty. It certainly does help when the captain and coach are on the same page.
Instilling Belief
“We are gonna work together, look after each other and care for each other. And when its time to play we will come out and play for each other as well. It’s no rocket science as this is the way how I’ve been brought up to play,” said Ponting.
Belief, rapport and togetherness – those are some more qualities Ricky brings to DD this year, apart from the aggressive approach and winning mentality. “It’s a very good team that we have. We personally have a great bond and we know each other quite well. We also have a good rapport and we’ve been practicing together,” said Vijay Shankar.
In the short time he has been head coach of DD so far, Ponting has already made a major impact on the squad. We caught up with him and asked him what he thinks about the players’ respect for him and the speech that gave Iyer goosebumps. In a typical cheeky manner with a smile on his face, he said, “It’s the way I’ve coached every opportunity that I’ve had. Hope that the boys enjoy whatever I’ve said cause there’s plenty more to come in the coming days!”
“I’m here to make the boys believe that we can win the IPL.”
The man is on a mission.
What Does Ricky Ponting Bring to the Table for DD?
Ever since Ricky Ponting took over as the head coach of DD, he has infused an aggressive mindset into the team. With an unmatched temperament and a positive attitude, Punter has caught the attention of all.
That kind of a mindset does not come as a surprise from someone who has led the Australian team to glory on multiple occasions, and has always led from the front. One of the greatest captains the world has ever seen, and a champion coach, Ponting is now thoroughly invested in DD.
It’s invaluable for a team brimming with young talent to have a coach they can look up to, respect, and learn from. In Ricky Ponting, they have just that.
During a recent press conference, Shreyas Iyer sounded optimistic about the team and the preparations going into the season, with Punter’s presence adding a lot of value to the DD outfit.
Shreyas Iyer on Ponting’s Approach
Ricky Ponting is a champion and a leader in the truest sense of those terms. It’s fair to say he knows a thing or two about inspiring his men and getting the best out of them. It’s no different with the DD squad.
"It has been really good (with Ponting). He is very aggressive and has got a positive frame of mind. When he came in and gave a speech to all of us, it really fired us, we had goosebumps," said Iyer.
There is a stark difference between going out there not to lose, and going out there to win and to make a statement. Guess what kind of cloth Ponting’s cut out from? By extension, guess what kind of cloth the DD team under him is going to be cut out from?
“His frame of mind was naturally about winning. When he came in, he had just one mindset at the time: that to win and he elaborated a lot on that. When I say aggression, he gives us freedom as well. He has asked us to play our own game,” added the youngster.
Some players need to be left on their own. They require their own freedom and space to succeed, and Ponting realises that. The DD squad does have some mavericks, and Ponting will ensure that these players get the freedom to express themselves, without instilling in them the fear of failure. The skipper, Gautam Gambhir also shares a similar mentality. He has advocated providing the hard-hitters such as Munro, Maxwell and Pant utmost liberty. It certainly does help when the captain and coach are on the same page.
Instilling Belief
“We are gonna work together, look after each other and care for each other. And when its time to play we will come out and play for each other as well. It’s no rocket science as this is the way how I’ve been brought up to play,” said Ponting.
Belief, rapport and togetherness – those are some more qualities Ricky brings to DD this year, apart from the aggressive approach and winning mentality. “It’s a very good team that we have. We personally have a great bond and we know each other quite well. We also have a good rapport and we’ve been practicing together,” said Vijay Shankar.
In the short time he has been head coach of DD so far, Ponting has already made a major impact on the squad. We caught up with him and asked him what he thinks about the players’ respect for him and the speech that gave Iyer goosebumps. In a typical cheeky manner with a smile on his face, he said, “It’s the way I’ve coached every opportunity that I’ve had. Hope that the boys enjoy whatever I’ve said cause there’s plenty more to come in the coming days!”
“I’m here to make the boys believe that we can win the IPL.”
The man is on a mission.
