Ex-DC assistant coach Mohammad Kaif revealed that then-DC head coach Ricky Ponting didn't agree with Shikhar Dhawan's trade from SRH to DC in 2018. Kaif stated that Ponting felt Dhawan's career was over but then-Director of Cricket Sourav Ganguly and owner Parth Jindal backed Dhawan and traded him. Dhawan was traded in exchange for three players.