Punjab Kings confirmed the departure of fast-bowling coach James Hopes and fielding coach Brad Haddin ahead of the next IPL season. The team suffered a dramatic collapse in the 2026 campaign after a strong start. Both coaches left to take up new assignments in Australian domestic cricket after the season.
Punjab Kings have confirmed the departure of fast-bowling coach James Hopes and fielding coach Brad Haddin from their coaching staff ahead of the next Indian Premier League season.
The exits come after a disappointing IPL 2026 campaign in which Punjab Kings suffered a dramatic collapse in the second half of the tournament. PBKS had made an unbeaten start to the season and spent nearly a month at the top of the points table, only to fall away sharply and finish fifth, missing out on the playoffs.
Hopes and Haddin had informed the Punjab Kings management of their decisions recently, with both coaches set to take up new assignments in Australian domestic cricket.
HOPES, HADDIN JOIN AUSTRALIAN TEAMS
Hopes has been appointed head coach of Queensland and the Brisbane Heat, while Haddin has taken charge of the New South Wales men's team.
Hopes had joined Punjab Kings along with head coach Ricky Ponting after the duo moved from Delhi Capitals a couple of seasons ago. Haddin, meanwhile, was retained when Ponting took over from the previous coaching regime.
The two coaches were part of the support staff that helped Punjab Kings turn their fortunes around under Ponting and captain Shreyas Iyer, including their impressive run in IPL 2025.
However, Punjab's campaign in 2026 unravelled after a strong start. One of the most visible problems during their slide was their fielding, with the team dropping catches regularly as their results began to deteriorate.
Vice-captain Shashank Singh became one of the focal points of the fielding struggles, with Punjab's inability to hold on to chances adding to their problems during the second half of the season.
Hopes and Haddin are the latest members of Ponting's support staff to leave Punjab Kings. Spin-bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule had also departed after the 2026 season to join the Indian men's team in the same role.
Ponting will now have to rebuild a significant part of his support staff before Punjab Kings begin preparations for the next IPL season.