Punjab Kings' new Head Coach Ricky Ponting is yet to decide on player retentions ahead of the mega auction even as the deadline for the retention nears.
The last date for franchises to release their retainees is October 31.
According to reports, Punjab is expected to retain frontline pacer Arshdeep Singh who has been a consistent performer for them for the last six seasons.
Last season's breakout stars Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma, who provided the silver lining to their otherwise ordinary campaign last year, are likely to stay on as well.
'Ricky and his team will decide on the player retention soon,' PTI reported on Thursday.
But one concern that will be eating up Punjab owners and Ponting will be finding a suitable leader to skipper the team.
Punjab were led by the now retired Shikhar Dhawan for the past two seasons and they will be aiming to find their new captain probably at the auction table.
According to reports, their current squad doesn't have a player who could don the responsibility, so it could very well be that Ponting and Preity Zinta will aim for the services of Rohit Sharma or KL Rahul if they are let go by their respective franchises.
Ponting has been appointed on a four-year contract in the hope of changing the team's fortunes. Punjab have never won the IPL and their sole final appearance came way back in 2014.
They have failed to finish even in the top five in the last seven editions and ended ninth out of 10 teams earlier this year.
Punjab Kings have decided to retain majority of their support staff with fast bowling coach James Hopes likely to be the sole addition for IPL 2025.
Ponting, who was appointed head coach last month, had used the services of fellow Aussie James Hopes when he was head coach at Delhi Capitals.
Spin bowling coach Sunil Joshi, batting and fielding coach Brad Haddin and Trevor Gonsalves, who were all part of Trevor Bayliss' team, have been retained for the upcoming season.
Bayliss was the head coach last year and Sanjay Bangar the head of cricket development are both now out of the coaching setup.
'Brad Haddin and Sunil have been retained. James Hopes is likely to be the fast bowling coach,' PTI quoted a source as saying.
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