Australia Coach To Leave Ashes For IPL Auction, Punjab Kings Coach Ricky Ponting To Give It A Miss: Report

The IPL 2026 auction in Abu Dhabi on December 16 will be a star-studded affair. Cameron Green, expected to garner a lot of attention in this auction, leads the list of 19 Australians, with Josh Inglis, Matthew Short, Cooper Connolly, and Beau Webster being the other prominent names. Meanwhile, Australia assistant coach Daniel Vettori, who is also the coach of SunRisers Hyderabad, will miss the Ashes series during the IPL auction. According to a report in Cricbuzz, the ex-New Zealand star has sought permission from Cricket Australia (CA) to travel to Abu Dhabi in the middle of the Ashes.

Meanwhile, Punjab Kings' Shreyas Iyer is likely to be in Abu Dhabi for the IPL 2026 auction. But PBKS coach Ricky Ponting is unlikely to be present at the auction as he is contracted with the Seven Network in Australia for Ashes commentary, and the third Test begins on December 17.

Former India wicketkeeper-batter and current Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) mentor Dinesh Karthik opened up about the intense, high-stakes build-up to the IPL mini-auction, describing the experience as one of the most demanding yet enjoyable phases of his cricketing journey.

Speaking about the extensive behind-the-scenes planning, Karthik reiterated how the preparation alone could form a gripping series. In a video shared by RCB on X, he said, "If the world gets to see the whole footage of what all we speak and what all we discuss, they can do a mega serial, I feel. They can do a 10-part TV series on it."

He detailed the exhaustive preparation that defined the days leading up to the auction, adding, "It was the most exhilarating 10 days prior to the auction, the way we prepped. I don't think I've gone through an experience like that. I've played a lot of cricket, but to be in the boardroom discussing what it takes to make a team was the most challenging, most fun, engaging week, 10 days I've had because there was so much prep that went into it. Mo and Andy have a very detailed process that they go through."

Topics mentioned in this article

Punjab Kings Australia Cricket Team Daniel Vettori Ricky Ponting IPL 2026 Australia vs England, Ashes 2025-26 Cricket