Former India player Sunil Joshi has decided to call time on his stint with the Punjab Kings, stepping down as the franchise's spin-bowling coach ahead
of the upcoming IPL season.
As per a report from Cricbuzz, the former India left-arm spinner, who was part of Ricky Ponting's support staff, wrote to the team management on Sunday (October 5) to convey his unavailability due to personal reasons.
Speculation suggests that the 55-year-old from Karnataka is poised to take up a role with the BCCI's Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru.
A Punjab Kings official was quoted by Cricbuzz as saying, "He has written to us about his unavailability for the coming season. He is a good guy and the franchise has a good equation with him. But we don't want to come in the way of someone's career growth. "
He previously worked at PBKS with the side under head coach Anil Kumble between 2020 and 2022, leaving the role to become the BCCI's chief selector before transitioning into the selection panel. He has also served briefly as head coach of the Uttar Pradesh state team. The Kings had a stellar outing in the IPL 2025, where they ended as eventual runners-up, and qualified for the playoffs after a gap of 11 years.
A veteran of 15 Tests and 69 ODIs for India between 1996 and 2001, Joshi remains tight-lipped about his future plans and could not be reached for direct confirmation.
Joshi's departure further extends the list of departures from various franchises after the IPL 2025 season. Kolkata Knight Riders have already relieved head coach Chandrakant Pandit, whereas Rahul Dravid also stepped down as head coach of the Rajasthan Royals.
