Preity Zinta outlines auction operations

Preity Zinta said Punjab Kings built their 2025 Indian Premier League auction around Shreyas Iyer and viewed him as their only captaincy choice. (hindustantimes.com) In a post on X on April 28, 2025, Zinta called Iyer “an amazing captain” and said Punjab Kings were “very happy” to get him at auction. (news18.com) She added that Iyer was Punjab Kings’ “first & only choice for captaincy,” and said “the whole auction revolved around him for us as a team.” (sportingnews.com) Punjab Kings paid INR 26.75 crore for Iyer at the mega auction before the 2025 season, making him one of the most expensive buys in Indian Premier League history. (crictracker.com) (sportstiger.com) The comments offered a rare public look at how an Indian Premier League owner described the franchise’s auction logic: identify the captain first, then shape the rest of the squad around him. (hindustantimes.com) (news18.com) That approach lined up with Punjab Kings’ 2025 season. The team reached the final under Iyer after years without a title run. (iplt20.com) (espncricinfo.com) Punjab Kings lost the June 3, 2025 final to Royal Challengers Bengaluru by six runs in Ahmedabad after chasing 191 and finishing on 184 for 7. (espncricinfo.com) (iplt20.com) Zinta’s post did not lay out a boardroom manual, but it did pin Punjab Kings’ 2025 roster build to one decision: get Shreyas Iyer, then build from there. (hindustantimes.com)