Hated to adored: Ricky Ponting’s incredible India ascent

There was a time when the legendary Ricky Ponting would instil fear in his opponents simply because of how good he was. And for fans, it was no different.

No matter what the situation was, when Ponting would stride out to the crease, there was always great anticipation for another masterclass in the art of batting.

For Indian fans, they would recall the many glittering centuries Ponting scored against them including the 2003 World Cup final demolition, but it was also off-field drama that caused a stir and led to the champion being loathed by many in the subcontinent.

There were several significant flashpoints over Ponting’s career, including his infamous night out in Kolkata in 1998, which left him with a black eye, whilst the fiery rivalry with Harbhajan Singh always added to the drama.

Nowadays though, it’s a different story with Ponting, where as an IPL coach he has become a much-loved figure.

It was an insightful topic of discussion on SEN’s The New Ball with Tom Morris and Bharat Sundaresan speaking on the current Punjab Kings boss.

“I think if you go back in time, Ponting had issues in India off the field. If you go back to 1998, there was the incident that happened in Kolkata outside the bar, and there were other issues,” Sundaresan said on Ponting’s presence in India.

“There was this feeling that of all the Australians, I mean, Shane Warne was venerated in India, right? He was up there with Sachin Tendulkar in terms of being a demigod when it came to sport.

“But Ricky Ponting was, I can stick my neck out and say, the most hated Australian cricketer.

“For at least 10 years, the first 10 years of his career amongst Indians in India, because he had so many clashes off the field, I mean that's a personal issue, it doesn't matter, but he had clashes with Harbhajan, and there's this famous clip that gets played out quite a bit.”

In the twilight of his career, Ponting featured in the IPL and famously linked up with his former rival Singh, whilst playing for the Mumbai Indians. Ponting would go on to become the coach of the side and lead them to their maiden title in 2015, a watershed moment for establishing his place in the hearts of Indian cricket fans.

“But what he's been able to do in the last 3 or 4 years, firstly, as coach for Delhi, where he's found this great bond with Shreyas Iyer, who he literally brought to Punjab and made him captain when Ponting himself moved to Punjab,” Sundaresan said.

“He took Delhi to the final (which was) the first time and the only time they've been in an IPL final, and he's taken Punjab to the final last year.

“It was Punjab’s second time in the final and probably the first time they went in as favourites, but they couldn't get the job done.

“And again, they've started amazingly well (this season).

“I mean, they're the first team ever in the history of the IPL to go unbeaten in the first 6 games of a season, so they won 5, there was a washout, but they look mighty.

“Punjab look like overwhelming favourites to go all the way if they can just get over that final hump, but I think it's more what Ponting’s done off the field that to me has kind of made him the most popular Australian right now in India.”

Ponting’s Punjab Kings will be looking to further their unbeaten streak this Saturday when they take on the Delhi Capitals at 8:00pm AEST.