Former Australia wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist recently shared a hilarious Instagram post portraying his former captain Ricky Ponting as a golden retriever. The legendary cricketer surprised fans by posting pictures of a pet dog wearing a collar bearing Ponting’s name during the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) season.
Ponting is currently the head coach of Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the tournament. Under his leadership with captain Shreyas Iyer, Punjab is dominating the points table. They are the only unbeaten team in the tournament so far. The team will face Delhi Capitals (DC) on April 25 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
Adam Gilchrist shares hilarious edited pictures of Ricky Ponting
Taking their long-standing friendship to a new level, Adam Gilchrist shared several photos of a golden retriever wearing a black harness with “Rickyponting” clearly written on it. He edited the images by placing Ricky Ponting’s face on a dog’s body, which surprised and delighted fans.
Gilchrist included a sarcastic caption: “Always nice when you meet old mates unexpectedly .” The post immediately gained attention, with several cricket celebrities including Grace Hayden and Beth Mooney reacting with laughing emojis in the comments section.
Adam Gilchrist and Ricky Ponting: Key figures in Australia’s dominance
Adam Gilchrist and Ricky Ponting were key players in Australia’s dominance from the 1990s to the 2000s. Gilchrist played 96 Tests (5,570 runs, average 47.60) and 287 ODIs (9,619 runs, strike rate 96.94), while Ponting played 168 Tests (13,378 runs, average 51.85) and 375 ODIs (13,704 runs).
Gilchrist scored 17 Test centuries and recorded 472 ODI dismissals (417 catches, 55 stumpings). He also performed in big finals and scored more than 50 in three consecutive World Cup finals (1999, 2003, 2007). Ponting led Australia to 220 wins in 324 matches and is the only player to have 100 Test wins.
Together, they built strong partnerships, including a 225-run stand against England in 2002. Both were part of Australia’s World Cup-winning teams in 1999, 2003 and 2007. Notably, 79% of Gilchrist’s runs and 73% of Ponting’s runs came in matches won by Australia.
Punjab Kings have made a strong start to IPL 2026, remaining unbeaten in their first six matches. The team has recorded five wins and one no-result, collecting 11 points with an impressive net run rate of +1.420.
Ricky Ponting has changed the team’s approach by creating a powerful batting lineup focused on aggressive scoring. Backed by Indian players like Shreyas Iyer, Prabhsimran Singh, Shashank Singh and Yuzvendra Chahal, the team has already posted three totals above 200 this season.
Captain Shreyas Iyer has led from the front with 206 runs, an average of 52 and a strike rate of 182.46, including three half-centuries. Priyansh Arya has been explosive, scoring runs at a strike rate of 248.24, including 93 off 37 balls against Lucknow Super Giants.
Cooper Connolly has scored 223 runs, while Prabhsimran Singh has added 211 runs at a strike rate of 171.54. Arshdeep Singh also became the first player to reach 100 wickets for the franchise.
Also Read: “Shivam Dubey is not a finisher” – Ravichandran Ashwin questions CSK’s batting order amid IPL 2026 clash
