Preity Zinta Stops Punjab Kings' Sacred Ritual

Preity Zinta and Punjab Kings [Source: AFP, AP]

Punjab Kings crushed Delhi Capitals to pull off a historic chase in match number 35 of the IPL 2026 season. The outcome ensured that the Shreyas Iyer-led side continues to remain the only unbeaten team in the tournament so far.

After securing a record start to IPL 2026 and reaching within touching distance in qualifying for the season’s playoffs race, team co-owner Preity Zinta has seemingly stopped a sacred Punjab Kings ritual, albeit jokingly.

Preity Zinta confirms end of “Paratha days” for Punjab Kings

Punjab Kings co-owner Preity Zinta jokingly confirmed that the team’s “Paratha days” are now over, since every player is apparently on a “diet”. The prominent Bollywood actress stated the same while responding to a fan’s request for a “paratha” on X.

Preity G Zinta

@realpreityzinta

Paratha days are over now… Everyone’s on a diet 😂😂😂😂 #pzchat

It is worth noting that in one of the earlier editions of the IPL, Preity Zinta claimed that she made 120 aloo parathas for Punjab Kings cricketers for winning a match.

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While recalling her team hotel experience in an interview, the Punjab Kings co-owner said “I said I want to eat aloo paratha. The hotel served us a "marela, thakela, sadela" aloo paratha. So I said I'll teach you. So these boys (Punjab Kings cricketers) said if you make it for us. So I said it won't be like this, but if you win really well, I'll make it. And they won. So I said okay, and then I had to make around 120 aloo parathas for them.”

Since then, her homemade aloo parathas have become a light-hearted victory tradition among Punjab Kings fans on social media, with fans often jokingly linking the team’s wins to “paratha celebrations” led by Preity Zinta.

The actress, however, claimed that she made parathas for her team just once back in 2009 but it soon became a running-gag associated with the Punjab-based franchise.

Responding to a fan on the micro-blogging site, she wrote “No. Only once in 2009, but somehow it’s become a joke now & everyone keeps mentioning it after every win…. It’s quite funny, actually.”

Punjab Kings still unbeaten and on top of IPL 2026

It appears that Preity Zinta has shelved the tradition at the right time, considering Punjab Kings have won all six of their completed fixtures so far this IPL 2026 season, a streak that could have otherwise left her preparing plenty more parathas.

With 13 points in just seven games, including 12 from outright wins and one from a no-result, the Shreyas Iyer-led side is within touching distance of qualifying for the playoffs already. The latest of those victories occurred against the Delhi Capitals in Delhi a couple of days ago, where the visitors pulled off the highest successful run chase in IPL history.

Placed at the top of the 10-team IPL 2026 points table, Punjab Kings’ NRR of 1.333 also reads the best among all sides this tournament.

Punjab Kings: The road ahead

Punjab Kings will now face Rajasthan Royals in match number 40 of the IPL 2026 season on Tuesday, April 28. The match will be hosted by the Mullanpur Stadium in New Chandigarh and the action will commence from 7:30 PM IST onwards.

Another win at this stage will pretty much confirm a place in the playoffs for the Shreyas Iyer-led franchise.

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