IPL 2025: PBKS co-owner Preity Zinta reacts as Shreyas Iyer's controversial 97 sparks debate

Preity Zinta reacts to Shreyas Iyer's controversial 97. (Photo: IPL)

Within days of the start of the Indian Premier League's 2025 season, the first controversy also sprang out. Shreyas Iyer of Kings Punjab was controversially left stranded three runs short of his century in his captaincy debut for the team during Tuesday's match against Gujarat Titans.

Actor Preity Zinta, the team's co-owner, also commented on Iyer's performance after teammate Shashank Singh came under fire for "robbing" Iyer of the chance.

Preity posted numerous images of the players from the game on social media on Tuesday. Gujarat was defeated by Punjab thanks to Iyer's innings.  The Player of the Match award went to the batter as well.

Congratulating Iyer and the team on X (formerly Twitter), Preity wrote, “What an incredible start to this tournament. Some 97’s are better than a hundred. Take a bow @ShreyasIyer15 for showing class, leadership & aggression. Loved how the team played as a unit!”

What an incredible start to this tournament Some 97s are better than a hundred. Take a bow @ShreyasIyer15 for showing class, leadership & aggression Loved how the team played as a unit ! A shout out to Vijaykumar Vyshak, Priyansh Arya, Marco Jansen @arshdeepsinghh & https://t.co/9KkjNjChde
Preity G Zinta (@realpreityzinta) March 25, 2025

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Preity also expressed gratitude to Shashank and the other architects of the victory.

"A shout out to Vijaykumar Vyshak, Priyansh Arya, Marco Jansen @arshdeepsinghh & @Shashank2191," she added in her tweet.

When the last over of Punjab's innings started, Shreyas Iyer was batting at 97. Many supporters were incensed after Shashank Singh scored 23 runs off the over but failed to give Iyer the strike he needed to reach his century.

Iyer later disclosed that he had told Shashank to go all out and 'not care about his hundred'.

Shashank Singh said after the Punjab innings, “It was a good cameo. The way Shreyas was batting, looking from the dugout was superb. I went in and Shreyas told me to go for it from ball one. He said to go for it before the last over started. Just watching the ball and hitting it. I try to get boundaries. The backing from the team and the management is vital at the number at which I go in. I try to play my shots with freedom. I think I know which shots I need to back. There are some shots which I don't. I back my strengths.”