Calcutta: Ricky Ponting would be part of the Kolkata Knight Riders’ think tank in the Indian Premier League. The Australian captain will be among the core group apart from captain Sourav Ganguly and the support staff that includes coach John Buchanan and assistant coach Matthew Mott.

Sourav was present during the team’s practice session at the Eden on Tuesday. This was the former India captain’s first appearance at Knight Riders’s practice since his arrival in the city on Monday. He will get down to action from Wednesday. A gym and pool session have been planned at the hotel.

Sourav was closeted with coach Buchanan for quite some time as the rest of the players were involved in a practice tie. Once Ponting decided to retire after making a run-a-ball 40, Sourav spent a good 10 minutes talking to him in the dug out. Ponting is available for the first phase of the tournament.

Sourav remained the cynosure during the couple of hours he was at the Eden. There was a flurry of activity as photographers jostled for a better frame once Sourav and Ponting got talking.

It reached such a point that the former India captain had to call for security personnel to prevent the situation from getting worse.

The first team meeting will be held on Wednesday morning where the 14-man squad for the opening match against Bangalore Royal Challengers will be finalised.

The Knight Riders’s captain expressed happiness at the way things have panned out. “It has been a good session… Feels nice to be here and see so many international players around,” he said.

Ponting will be away for a day in Mumbai for an ICC awards function and will meet up with the team in Bangalore. “We will practice together in Bangalore…” Sourav said.

He, however, refused to make any predictions for the tournament.

“Twenty20 matches are of short duration… Whoever plays better on the given day will win.”