May 19, 2025 : Actor Preity Zinta, co-owner of Punjab Kings (PBKS), took to Instagram to celebrate her team’s spirited victory over Rajasthan Royals (RR), a win that secured their long-awaited spot in the IPL playoffs.
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Expressing her pride, Zinta highlighted the squad’s unity, resilience, and standout performances that contributed to the crucial triumph in Jaipur.
“What a fantastic win by @punjabkingsipl. Super proud of the way the team came together & fought for this victory. Yesterday was all about teamwork, grit & leadership. Take a bow @harpreetsbrar95, @shashanksingh027, @nehalwadhera, @shreyasiyer96 & the entire team for taking us into the playoffs,” Zinta wrote, tagging head coach Ricky Ponting and adding hashtags like #BasJeetnaHai and #SaddaPunjab.
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Under the captaincy of Shreyas Iyer and a collective team effort, PBKS posted an imposing 219/5, anchored by Nehal Wadhera’s explosive 70 off 37 and Shashank Singh’s unbeaten 59. The team’s bowlers followed up with a clinical performance to seal the win.
Head coach Ricky Ponting praised the squad’s consistency and mindset, attributing their success to an approach grounded in simplicity and confidence.
“What you did was manage to put pressure back on them straight away… You had a great partnership with Shreyas. I actually said to him at one of the timeouts that because you’re so good, you can find a way to score runs, be out there in a partnership, and you ended up putting on 67 off 44 balls,” Ponting remarked, applauding Wadhera’s impact.
Ponting also lauded Shashank Singh for his reliability under pressure, stating, “Every time you have been confronted with something in the tournament, you have found a way to get it done.”
On the bowling front, Harpreet Brar drew special praise for his economical spell of 3/22, which proved decisive in restricting Rajasthan’s chase.
PBKS will look to carry this momentum into their upcoming clash against Delhi Capitals (DC) on May 24 at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, hoping to further their title aspirations.