The Punjab Kings have been a part of the Indian Premier League (IPL) since the tournament’s inception. Initially, the team was known as the Kings XI Punjab, but in 2021, the owners decided to rebrand the franchise as the Punjab Kings. Despite competing in all editions of the IPL, Punjab Kings have never won the IPL trophy. On the other hand, PBKS owners have been involved in several controversies in the past. Let’s check out some of them.
Controversies surrounding PBKS owners in IPL
Preity Zinta vs Mohit Burman feud
The team is owned by KPH Dream Cricket Private Limited, with Mohit Burman (from the Dabur group) holding 48% of the shares. Preity Zinta and Ness Wadia each own 23% of the shares, while Karan Paul owns the remaining 6%. Recently, Mohit Burman expressed his intention to sell 11.5% of his shares to a third party. Preity Zinta objected to this sale, filing a restraining order to block it. She argued that existing owners should have the first right to buy the shares
Termination from BCCI
In 2011, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) terminated the franchise contracts of Punjab Kings and Rajasthan Royals ahead of the IPL season auction. This decision came due to violations of three franchise agreement terms. However, the matter was resolved in court, as PBKS paid a sum of Rs 1 crore as a penalty.
Preity Zinta & Ness Wadia molestation controversy
Punjab Kings co-owners Preity Zinta and Ness Wadia were in a relationship when they initially bought the franchise. But the romance ended in 2009, and in 2014, Preity Zinta filed a molestation complaint against Wadia. Preity later accused Wadia of intimidation after she reached out to the police. However, after the case was stretched for four years, Preity Zinta withdrew the complaint.
