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Preity Zinta shuts down 'fake news' claiming PBKS chose Shreyas Iyer over Rishabh Pant for performance reasons

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Bollywood actor and Punjab Kings (PBKS) co-owner Preity Zinta has firmly dismissed viral social media claims that her IPL franchise opted for Shreyas Iyer over Rishabh Pant based on performance preferences.

A post on X alleged that Zinta had said, “We had both Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer—options we could have taken in the team. But we wanted a big performer, not a big name… so we took Shreyas Iyer in the team.” The user also referenced Pant’s earlier comment where he reportedly said he could join any franchise “but not Punjab Kings.”

Wasting no time, Zinta responded directly to the claims on X, writing, “I’m so sorry but this is FAKE NEWS.” The statement quickly drew support from fans who appreciated the co-owner setting the record straight.


Shreyas Iyer was roped in by PBKS for a whopping Rs 26.75 crore after a title-winning campaign with KKR, briefly becoming the most expensive player in IPL history. However, that record was soon broken when Rishabh Pant was picked up by LSG for Rs 27 crore.


Later, in a personal update, Zinta also mentioned battling a fever, possibly due to the hectic IPL schedule.

“Thank god mom is coming to see me & the game tomorrow. Hope I can make it to the Mullanpur stadium since it’s our last home game in Chandigarh,” she wrote, adding she would “just pretend it’s cricket fever and try to get some much-needed sleep… and ignore all the fake news circulating online.”


Punjab Kings are set to take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Stadium in Mullanpur in what is shaping up to be a crucial IPL 2025 clash.

PBKS, riding high on confidence after a dominant win in their previous outing, are eyeing another victory to cement their place in the top half of the table. With the game being their final home fixture in Chandigarh before the team shifts to Dharamshala, the stakes are high—both on and off the field.

(With inputs from ANI)
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