New Delhi, Sep 18 Punjab Kings all-rounder Shashank Singh praised the team’s co-owner, Preity Zinta, highly and commended her efforts during the 2025 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
One consistent aspect for the Punjab Kings as a franchise in the IPL is their co-owner Preity Zinta’s support. The Bollywood actress rarely misses any of the team’s matches and is often seen cheerfully supporting the Men in Red from the stands through their highs and lows.
Several cricketers from the franchise have previously praised Zinta for attending the matches and supporting the players. PBKS all-rounder Shashank Singh believes that her support has greatly benefitted him and his teammates at the franchise. He noted how he has respected her throughout and that he always enjoys speaking to her.
“Personally, I’m very close to her. It’s always enjoyable to chat and converse with her. I was a bit shy when I joined the team in 2024, but now we casually chat and I love talking to her,” Shashank told IANS in an exclusive interview.
The 33-year-old recalled the time when Zinta went out of her way to help the team get back home safely amid IPL 2025. Notably, the 58th match of the cash-rich event between PBKS and Delhi Capitals at the HPCA stadium in Dharamsala was called off midway, with the players and crowd being asked to vacate the venue immediately.
Shashank discussed how the sudden change of events concerned him and his teammates, recalling:
“I have always held immense respect for her, and it increased threefold this year. When our match was called off mid-way in Dharamsala due to the war-like situation in the country, everyone was scared, including the crowd and players. It’s not something you experience every day. The crowd was asked to leave the stadium following a blackout. We were taken off the field midway. They handed us our mobiles and asked us to rush to the hotel.”
The Chattisgarh cricketer praised Zinta highly, noting how the actress took responsibility to ensure both teams remained safe and arrived in Delhi safely.
“Mam was up all night, doing everything she could to make our journey the next day easier. We had to travel to Delhi by train, unlike usual, and she fully involved herself in making the arrangements to ensure that not only her team members but also members of the other team left the place and reached their next destination safely. She personally spoke to all the drivers, checked if the food was being packed properly, if our kit-bags were being handled and taken safely and correctly. Both franchises had their respective management teams, but she went out of her way to make sure everything was streamlined,” he added.
“Although she’s a big celebrity, she attended to the smallest details, even at the grassroots level, to ensure everyone was comfortable. She was in touch with everyone personally until we reached home, when the tournament was put on hold. That day, my respect for Preity mam grew immensely. She has an army officer’s blood running in her veins, and that was evident throughout. She deserves all the praise,” Shashank concluded.
The PBKS middle-order batter was last in action during the IPL 2025 final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, where the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) lifted their first-ever title in the tournament’s history.
(Auto generated news from IANS Feed. This has not been edited by enewstime desk)
