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IPL team confirm Ponting as coach

Australian cricket legend Ricky Ponting will coach Delhi Daredevils in the Indian Premier League, the team has revealed

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has been unveiled as the new coach of Indian Premier League (IPL) outfit Delhi Daredevils.

Ponting will take over at the Daredevils for the 2018 IPL season, having previously coached fellow IPL club Mumbai Indians to the 2015 title during a two-year stint at the club.

Delhi confirmed the news via their official Twitter account on Thursday evening.

The Daredevils were coached by Paddy Upton in season 2017, finishing sixth on the table with six wins from 14 matches.

The IPL have also revealed the list of players who have been retained by their clubs ahead of the official auction later this month, with Steve Smith (Rising Pune Supergiant) and David Warner (Hyderabad Sunrisers) the two Australians retained.

Earlier this week, Ponting responded to reports that he is in line to coach Australia at the next World T20 tournament, saying he'd loved to be involved in the game again but that nothing has been decided with Cricket Australia (CA).

This followed a report from News Corp that said CA was in negotiations for Ponting to coach Australia at the event to be played on home soil in 2020.

Speaking on Network Ten during their KFC Big Bash League coverage on Tuesday night, Ponting said discussions with Cricket Australia had been ongoing for several months.

But he denied that he had already signed a deal to coach the T20 side.

Bash Brothers' attitude rubbing off on the Heat: Ponting

"I've had discussions with Cricket Australia for a long time about getting involved somewhere in some way shape or form," he said.

"I love coaching, I love being able to give a little bit back into the game.

"Obviously working and commentating on the Big Bash gives me an opportunity to see all the players and keep up with the tactics and the skills that are coming into the game now."

Darren Lehmann will lead the Australia team throughout this summer's limited overs series and it is believed that CA are looking at options to provide the veteran coach with support during the upcoming Gillette ODI Series against England and the Gillette T20 tri-series against England and New Zealand.

Ponting worked alongside stand-in head coach Justin Langer as an assistant coach for Australia during a three-game series against Sri Lanka last year, when Lehmann and the Aussie Test side were in Asia preparing for their Test tour of India. 

IPL PLAYERS RETAINED

Chennai Super Kings: MS Dhoni, Suresh Raine, Ravindra Jadeja

Delhi Daredevils: Rishabh Pant, Chris Morris, Shreyas Iyer

Kings XI Punjab: Axar Patel

Kolkata Knight Riders: Sunil Narine, Andre Russell

Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah

Rajasthan Royals: Steve Smith

Royal Challengers: Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Sarfraz Khan

Sunrisers Hyderabad: David Warner, Bhuvneshwar Kumar