Preity Zinta's social media post on Punjab Kings went viral |Courtesy - BCCI
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- PBKS have reached the playoffs just twice
- PBKS lost to KKR in the 2014 IPL final
- PBKS are on of three founding member teams to never win the IPL
Preity Zinta-owned Punjab Kings are undoubtedly the Indian Premier League's (IPL) biggest underperformers over the years as they are one of three founding member teams alongside Delhi Capitals (DC) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to never win the title and have played just one final
While DC and RCB have still made frequent appearances in the playoffs, PBKS have reached the second round only twice in the league's 17-year-old history. Infact, the Punjab-based franchise have not reached the playoffs since 2014, when they lost the final to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
While taking part in a Q&A session with fans on X (formerly known as Twitter), PBKS co-owner Zinta was asked about the reasons behind PBKS' success in 2014. The Bollywood actress replied to the post which multiple factors that contributed to their title.
"Dynamic batting in the first six overs, great captaincy by George Bailey, no interference from owners & very less chopping and changing in the team. Over all fantastic bowling & teamwork & the wonderful MM partnership, which was Maxi and Miller and of course ," wrote Zinta.
Among the many reasons listed by her, one that caught the eye of fans was the point of intervention by owners. Many social media users wondered if she was hinting at owners intervening in other seasons in sporting matters
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Apart from 2014, PBKS reached the knockout stage only in the inaugural season in 2008 under Yuvraj Singh's captaincy when they lost the semi-final to Chennai Super Kings. In 2010, 2015, and 2016, they finished last in the table. Last year, PBKS ended the season in 9th place.
Ahead of the 2025 mega auction, PBKS opted for a squad overhaul once again and just retained two uncapped players (Shashank Singh and Prabhsimran Singh). They have named KKR's IPL 2024-winning skipper Shreyas Iyer as their new captain after purchasing him for Rs. 26.75 crore. PBKS also re-signed Arshdeep Singh and bought Yuzvendra Chahal for Rs. 18 crore, respectively.
The 2025 season will also mark Ricky Ponting's first season in charge of the franchise as their new head coach.
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