New Delhi: Punjab Kings owned by Preity Zinta have consistently been one of the biggest underachievers in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Despite being among the leagues original teams they have never clinched the title joining Delhi Capitals (DC) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) as the only founding franchises yet to win. Their lone appearance in an IPL final further highlights their struggles over the years. While Delhi Capitals (DC) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have made regular playoff appearances Punjab Kings (PBKS) have struggled to find consistency reaching the second round only twice in the IPL’s 17-year history. In fact the Punjab-based franchise has not qualified for the playoffs since 2014 when they finished as runners-up after losing the final to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). During a Q&A session with fans on X (formerly known as Twitter) PBKS co-owner Preity Zinta was asked about the key factors behind the team’s success in 2014. In response the Bollywood actress highlighted multiple elements that contributed to their impressive campaign that year. Zinta responded by attributing their 2014 success to several key factors stating Dynamic batting in the first six overs great captaincy by George Bailey no interference from owners & very less chopping and changing in the team. Overall fantastic bowling & teamwork & the wonderful MM partnership which was Maxi and Miller and of course... Among the several reasons she listed what particularly caught fans attention was her mention of owner intervention. Many social media users speculated whether she was hinting at owners getting involved in sporting matters in other seasons. Besides 2014 PBKS made it to the knockout stage only once before during the inaugural 2008 season under Yuvraj Singh’s captaincy where they lost the semi-final to Chennai Super Kings. In 2010 2015 and 2016 they ended at the bottom of the table while in the previous season PBKS finished in 9th place. Going into the 2025 mega auction PBKS once again opted for a squad overhaul retaining only two uncapped players Shashank Singh and Prabhsimran Singh. They secured KKR’s IPL 2024-winning captain Shreyas Iyer for Rs. 26.75 crore and named him their new skipper. Additionally PBKS re-signed Arshdeep Singh and purchased Yuzvendra Chahal for Rs. 18 crore. The 2025 season will also see Ricky Ponting take charge as the franchise’s new head coach.