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IPL: 3 IPL 2025 Coaches You Didn't Know, Played The First Season Of The League
Follow UsThese coaches, otherwise known for their brilliant Test and ODI games, were also part of the first IPL season as players
The Indian Premier League (IPL) is now 18 years old and so many things have happened between the first season in 2008 and the latest one in 2025. The biggest of all the changes is that not one or two, but a total of seven coaches in IPL 2025, actually played the first season of the cash-rich league in 2008.
But amongst those seven, there are two who played just the first season and then there are two who played only in the first season and one who played four games in the first season and then returned five years later to play only six more games.
So, here are three coaches you wouldn’t know played in the first season of the IPL.
Justin Langer-Rajasthan Royals
Justin Langer, currently the coach of the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), was bought by the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the inaugural edition of the IPL for US $200,000.
But Langer was unable to play any game at all. Though he did feature in a British Asian Cup game against Middlesex, which was not counted as an official T20. In that game, he was bowled by Dawid Malan for one run, batting at number five.
Langer took up the coaching job in the IPL in 2024 with the LSG.
Stephen Fleming-Chennai Super Kings
Stephen Fleming, the current coach of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), played for them in the first season of the IPL. Bought for US $350,000 by the CSK, the former New Zealand captain played 10 matches, scoring 196 runs at an average of 21.77 and a strike rate of 118.78. After that season, he became CSK’s coach and has remained in that position till now.
Ricky Ponting- Kolkata Knight Riders
Ricky Ponting, coaching the Punjab Kings in 2025, has previously coached the Delhi Capitals and the Mumbai Indians in IPL history. However, Ponting’s first association with the IPL came in the inaugural season itself. He was bought by KKR for US $400,000. However, he featured in only four matches, scoring 39 runs at an average of less than 10.
When Ponting did return to the IPL in 2013 for MI, he was no better with the bat in hand, and also had to step away from the captaincy midway, giving Rohit Sharma his first stint at the helm of the MI side, which he successfully led to five title wins later on. With MI, Ponting scored 52 runs in five innings.