South African squad was stranded in India due to airspace restrictions amid the ongoing West Asia conflict.
Notably, South Africa and West Indies squads were left stranded in India due to airspace restrictions amid the ongoing West Asia conflict.
The Proteas were knocked out of the T20 World Cup after losing the first semifinal to New Zealand by nine wickets in Kolkata on March 4, while they faced delays in leaving India for over a week.
In light of the situation, Jansen will join the PBKS squad on March 26. Ponting and most of the overseas are set to link up with the team on March 21.
Afghanistan all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai will join the franchise on March 23 from Kabul, delayed from the scheduled arrival due to the ongoing conflict between his country and Pakistan.
In their first year together at PBKS, Ponting and captain Shreyas Iyer transformed the side, leading them to the IPL 2025 final, the franchise's first appearance in the summit clash since 2014.
"Ricky fully supports his players. Considering Marco left late from India, he understands the need for giving him adequate time at home," a source told PTI.
Marco Jansen picked up 16 wickets for PBKS last season at an economy rate of 9.20.
IPL teams are facing significant logistical delays in bringing overseas players from the west due to restricted operations at major UAE airports.
While the IPL 2026 season will get underway on March 28 with RCB versus SRH clash in Bengaluru, PBKS will be open their campaign against GT on March 31 in Mullanpur.
(With PTI Inputs)