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'Sorry Shreyas...': Why did PBKS co-owner Preity Zinta apologise to Iyer after hiring him for bumper Rs 26.75 crore in IPL 2025 mega auction?

Punjab Kings co-owner Preity Zinta talked about their their biggest signing of IPL 2025 mega auction Shreyas Iyer.

Sports Tak

• Tue • 26 Nov 2024

PBKS co-owner Preity Zinta and star batter Shreyas Iyer

Highlights:

PBKS co-owner Preity Zinta humorously said sorry to Shreyas Iyer after IPL 2025 mega auction

PBKS broke bank on Shreyas Iyer and picked for a whopping sum of Rs 26.75 crore

Preity Zinta, co-owner of the Punjab Kings, playfully apologised to Shreyas Iyer after the latter narrowly missed out on becoming the most expensive player in IPL auction history. In a video shared on Instagram by Jio Cinema, Zinta jokingly mentioned the word 'record-breaking' and immediately said sorry to Iyer, who was just a few lakhs short of the record.

Iyer, who had a base price of ₹2 crore, attracted bids from multiple franchises. After being released by the defending champions KKR, Iyer entered the IPL 2025 mega auction, as one of the most sought-after player. While he surpassed Mitchell Starc's previous record by being bought for Rs 26.75 crore, he was shortly overtaken by Rishabh Pant, who was acquired by the Lucknow Super Giants for Rs 27 crore.

Sorry Shreyas! Kuch toh tax mein katega: Preity Zinta after IPL 2025 mega auction

Meanwhile, when asked about the possibility of players fetching such high bids, Preity Zinta responded with a surprised expression, hinting that she hadn't anticipated such a high-stakes auction.

"Well, hamesha aisa laga tha ki jo bhi IPL mein, it'll be record-breaking. Par 26 crore, yes socha tha (Sorry) 27 crore, Sorry Shreyas! Kuch toh tax mein katega." (Well, I have always felt anything is record-breaking in the IPL. But 26 crore, yes, thought about it. (Sorry) 27 crore, Sorry Shreyas! A portion will go to tax.)," Preity Zinta told broadcasters after the IPL 2025 mega auction.

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Not just Iyer, PBKS also broke bank on Arshdeep Singh and Yuzvendra, who they bought for Rs 18 crore each. Marcus Stoinis (Rs 11 crore), Marco Jansen (Rs 7 crore), Glenn Maxwell and Nehal Wadhera (Rs 4.20 crore each) also remained the notably picks for PBKS in the IPL 2025 auction.

PBKS, who entered the auction with the biggest purse of Rs 110.5 crore, have certainly built a strong core for the upcoming IPL season, with the aim of securing their maiden title in the league. Preity Zinta expressed satisfaction with the team's new signings, stating that they have acquired around 90 per cent of their target players.

“We wanted to start completely new, some hits and misses, but most of them were hits with what we wanted. No auction ever happens where you think these are the names that we want 100 percent. If you can get above 90 percent, that's a great auction. And we got about 90% of what we wanted,” Zinta stated.

“Yes, they are back, and I am very, very excited. Arshdeep Singh is the original Punjabi boy, Harpreet Brar, Nehal Wadhera and there are so many. One thing we definitely wanted was to have a brand-new team, a brand-new approach. But we also wanted players from our catchment area,” she further added.

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PBKS buys in IPL 2025 mega auction:

1. Arshdeep Singh (18 crore; RTM)
2. Shreyas Iyer (Rs 26.75 crore)
3. Yuzvendra Chahal (Rs 18 crore)
4. Marcus Stoinis (Rs 11 crore)
5. Glenn Maxwell (Rs 4.2 crore)
6. Nehal Wadhera (Rs 4.2 crore)
7. Harpreet Brar (Rs 1.5 crore)
8. Vishnu Vinod (Rs 95 lakh)
9. Vijaykumar Vyshak (Rs 1.8 crore)
10. Yash Thakur (Rs 1.8 crore)
11. Marco Jansen (Rs 7 crore)
12. Josh Inglis (Rs 2.6 crore)
13. Lockie Ferguson (Rs 2 crore)
14. Azmatullah Omarzai (Rs 2.4 crore)
15. Harnoor Pannu (Rs 30 lakh)
16. Kuldeep Sen (Rs 80 lakh)
17. Priyansh Arya (Rs 3.8 crore)
18. Aaron Hardie (Rs 1.25 crore)
19. Musheer Khan (Rs 30 lakh)
20. Suryansh Shedge (Rs 30 lakh)
21. Xavier Bartlett (Rs 80 lakh)
22. Pyla Avinash (Rs 30 lakh)
23. Pravin Dubey (Rs. 30 lakh)

List of PBKS' retained players:

Shashank Singh - 5.5 crore
Prabhsimran Singh - 4 crore

PBKS' full squad for IPL 2025

Shashank Singh, Prabhsimran Singh, Arshdeep Singh (Rs. 18 crore), Shreyas Iyer (Rs. 26.75 crore), Yuzvendra Chahal (Rs. 18 crore), Marcus Stoinis (Rs. 11 crore), Glenn Maxwell (Rs. 4.20 crore), Nehal Wadhera (Rs. 4.20 crore), Harpreet Brar (Rs. 1.50 crore), Vishnu Vinod (Rs. 95 lakh), Vijaykumar Vyshak (Rs. 1.80 crore), Yash Thakur (Rs. 1.60 crore), Marco Jansen (Rs. 7 crore), Josh Inglis (Rs. 2.60 crore), Lockie Ferguson (Rs. 2 crore), Azmatullah Omarzai (Rs. 2.40 crore), Harnoor Pannu (Rs. 30 lakh), Kuldeep Sen (Rs. 80 lakh), Priyansh Arya (Rs. 3.80 crore), Aaron Hardie (Rs. 1.25 crore), Musheer Khan (Rs. 30 lakh), Suryansh Shedge (Rs. 30 lakh), Xavier Bartlett (Rs. 80 lakh), Pyla Avinash (Rs. 30 lakh), Pravin Dubey (Rs. 30 lakh).