India, May 29 -- Ricky Ponting's impact on Punjab Kings has been nothing short of transformative. Taking charge of a team long associated with underachievement, the Australian legend has revealed that he demanded complete autonomy before accepting the job, and the results speak for themselves.

Under Ponting's watch, Punjab ended their decade-long play-off drought, thanks in large part to a daring auction strategy that favoured uncapped potential over marquee names. By retaining only Prabhsimran Singh and Shashank Singh, Ponting built a squad tailored to his philosophy of "playing differently," unlocking the kind of fearless cricket he's long envisioned.

Ponting was earlier the head coach of Delhi Capitals for seven years, and while the ...