Punjab Kings is one of the few teams that have been part of the IPL since 2008. And in their matches, the presence of their co-owner Preity Zinta is always a constant. In IPL 2025, PBKS came close to winning the title but fell short against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the final. Jitesh Sharma was part of the RCB side that won the championship. However, till a season ago, Jitesh plied his trade for Punjab Kings.
He was part of the side from IPL 2022 to IPL 2024. In a recent podcast, Jitesh revealed that he shares a great bond with “elder sister” Preity Zinta.
“I see her as an elder sister. When I was with Punjab, she somehow got to know that I am from Himachal. She is also from Himachal. I used to talk to her for hours – just about life, normal discussions. And it was a life-turning moment, getting into Punjab Kings,” Jitesh said on Ranveer Allahbadia’s YouTube channel.
“Whatever I am is because of them. Even in the IPL 2025 auction, they went for me. They used the right-to-match option for me at Rs 7 crore. RCB made it Rs 11 crore, and they (PBKS) could not match it. After that, ma’am called and said, ‘I am very sorry that I could not take you.’ She wanted to pick me. I said, ‘I also wanted to play for you.’ She was very happy that I went for Rs 11 crore.”
Recently, wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma scored a 37-ball 81, skipper Rajat Patidar smashed a blazing 25-ball 74, while superstar batter Virat Kohli played a quick 12-ball 29-run cameo in Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) first warm-up match ahead of their title defence starting on March 28 against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).
Before kick-starting their IPL title defence against the Men in Orange at home in Bengaluru, RCB batters looked in good nick, even while playing brief cameos. Jitesh, Rajat, Devdutt Padikkal, and Krunal Pandya were among the batters who scored fifties