Ricky Ponting was on his plane to Australia on Saturday (May 10) when the ceasefire between India and Pakistan came into force. The Punjab Kings (PBKS) head coach could have still left India but he deboarded the plane and chose to stay in the country to fulfill his IPL commitments. One of the greatest captains in the history of cricket, Ponting showed his leadership skills and gave a pep talk to the overseas stars who wanted to go back home.

PTI has reported that barring Marco Jansen, none of the PBKS players has left India. The South African all-rounder is in Dubai. "The foreign players are not used to something like this. So, it was natural for them to feel anxious. Led by Stoinis, they all wanted to leave at the earliest and understandably so. But Ponting has convinced them to stay back post ceasefire which I think is remarkable," a source was quoted as saying by PTI.

The BCCI suspended IPL for a week due to the tensions between India and Pakistan. The 58th match between PBKS and Delhi Capitals (DC) was suspended during the first innings. Both teams shared the points. The board made special arrangements for the contingent and everyone involved with the game returned to Delhi from Dharamsala a day later.

IPL is now set to resume soon and the majority of overseas players, who have already left India, are likely to return to the country. The IPL 2025 will resume with Lucknow Super Giants taking on Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

With 7 wins from 11 matches, PBKS are at the third spot in the points table and they can finish in the top two. PBKS are having their best season in over a decade and have emerged as strong title contenders. PBKS have only managed to make it to the playoffs twice in 17 complete seasons. They look set for their third playoff appearance in 2025.

Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from IPL 2025,IPL Orange Cap, IPL Purple Cap, Most Sixes in IPL, Cricket, Sports and around the world.