Punjab Kings IPL 2027Punjab Kings have suffered a major setback ahead of IPL 2027, as James Hopes and Brad Haddin have resigned from their respective roles as bowling coach and fielding coach.
The primary reason for their resignations is their new employment; Hopes has been appointed head coach of Queensland and Brisbane Heat, while Haddin has taken charge as the head coach of New South Wales.
With their departure, Ricky Ponting remains the only head coach at Punjab Kings and will now need to find new support staff. Prior to this, Sairaj Bahutule also left Punjab Kings to become the spin bowling coach for the Indian team.
Hopes and Haddin were Ponting's trusted aides
Both Hopes and Haddin were trusted lieutenants of Ponting. The duo worked together at Delhi Capitals and subsequently spent two years together at Punjab Kings. Haddin has also been part of the PBKS backroom staff since 2022.
The teams associated with Hopes and Haddin are currently competing in the Sheffield Shield; Queensland is set to face Western Australia in Perth, while New South Wales will take on Tasmania in Sydney.
What lies ahead for Punjab Kings?
The Punjab Kings team has shown significant improvement under the coaching of Ricky Ponting. The team is led by captain Shreyas Iyer, under whose leadership they reached the final in 2025, where they suffered a defeat against RCB.
Punjab had a spectacular start to the 2026 IPL season, winning six consecutive matches; however, their performance suddenly slumped, and they failed to qualify for the playoffs after losing six of their next seven games.
Now, ahead of IPL 2027, Ponting must build a new squad, as that is the only way Punjab Kings can realize their dream of becoming IPL champions.
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