Punjab Kings coach Sunil Joshi has departed from the franchise right after four months of playing the IPL final against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Joshi, who was earlier working under the head coach Ricky Ponting, will reportedly be joining the BCCI Center of Excellence (CoE). According to a report from Cricbuzz, a PBKS official has confirmed the departure, saying that Joshi shares a good bond with the franchise. Although no official confirmation was made, the source informed Cricbuzz, "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." Sunil Joshi had a brief conversation with Punjab Kings' head coach Ricky Ponting, and later would have loved him to continue with the franchise. Notably, Joshi, who had earlier represented RCB as a player in 2008 and 2009, had been with PBKS as a coach under Anil Kumble from 2020 to 2022. He then later switched to the role of chief selector of BCCI. Joshi then joined the Uttar Pradesh state team as the head coach before joining Punjab again in 2023. Read also: Mohammed Siraj Reveals He Could Have Played One More Test in England Punjab shone under Ricky Ponting and Shreyas Iyer Captain Shreyas Iyer, along with Ricky Ponting and the other coaching staff, took the team to the final after 11 years. Punjab Kings had played their last final in 2014, when the Gautam Gambhir-led Kolkata Knight Riders defeated them and won their second IPL trophy. Notably, Iyer and Ponting share a good rapport, as they had dominated during their tenure in the Delhi Capitals. Under Shreyas Iyer’s captaincy, Delhi Capitals reached the playoffs in IPL 2019 — their first appearance in the knockout stage since 2012. The following year, DC advanced to their maiden IPL final in 2020. However, Iyer did not lead the side in the 2021 season and later represented Kolkata Knight Riders from 2022 to 2024. After almost four years, Iyer reunited with coach Ricky Ponting at Punjab Kings, where the duo recreated glimpses of their earlier success. Despite their strong run, PBKS fell short against Royal Challengers Bangalore, who lifted their first-ever IPL trophy. RCB, notably, has been a constant presence in every season since 2018.