Bollywood actress and Punjab Kings co-owner Preity Zinta has dismissed claims suggesting she intentionally chose Shreyas Iyer over Rishabh Pant in last year’s IPL mega auction. A user on X (formerly Twitter), named Gurlabh Singh, alleged that Zinta responded to Pant’s earlier statement—where he reportedly expressed his disinterest in joining Punjab Kings—by saying, “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.”
Rishabh Pant had said in an interview that I could go anywhere but not to Punjab Kings.
— Gurlabh Singh (@gurlabhsingh610) April 19, 2025
But now Punjab owner Preity Zinta exposed Rishabh Pant and 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… pic.twitter.com/FT9CVuC65W
Zinta addressed the circulating quote and firmly denied ever making such a remark. “I am sorry but this is fake news,” she wrote in reply to the post.
I’m so sorry but this is FAKE NEWS !
— Preity G Zinta (@realpreityzinta) April 19, 2025
While the user did not challenge Zinta’s clarification, he urged her to respond strongly to Pant’s past comments. “Ma’am, if Rishabh Pant can sit with Vikrant Gupta and Sanjiv Goenka on international TV and say anything about our Punjab Kings, then why can’t we say the same?” he said in a follow-up. He added, “Bhai gussa to aata hi hai chahe Rishabh Pant bhi Apna hi hai, lekin Rishabh Pant ko Punjab Kings ke bare me nahi bolna chahiye that.”
Pant, who was released by Delhi Capitals ahead of the auction, became one of the most sought-after players and was eventually picked up by Lucknow Super Giants for a record-breaking ₹27 crore. In an interview alongside LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka after the auction, Pant admitted that he had only one worry during the event: “Andar se, mereko bas ek hi tension thha, wo hai Punjab.”
Interestingly, PBKS never made a bid for Pant, having already signed Shreyas Iyer for ₹26.75 crore just minutes earlier.
Pant’s remark didn’t sit well with Punjab Kings fans. The rivalry took a playful turn on social media when PBKS defeated LSG in IPL 2025. Punjab’s official handle posted a series of tweets referencing the word “tension,” especially after Glenn Maxwell dismissed Pant early in the match.
