Bollywood actor and Punjab Kings` co-owner Preity Zinta on Saturday shut down the reports that claimed that her IPL franchise chose Shreyas Iyer over Rishabh Pant due to performance-based preferences. An X user recently alleged that Zinta and the PBKS management had picked Iyer over Pant, on terms of a "big performer, not a big name."

"Rishabh Pant had said in an interview that I could go anywhere but not to Punjab Kings. But now Punjab owner Preity Zinta exposed Rishabh Pant and said, WE HAD BOTH RISHABH PANT AND SHREYAS IYER- OPTIONS WE COULD HAVE TAKEN IN THE TEAM. BUT WE WANTED A BIG PERFORMER, NOT A BIG NAME...SO WE TOOK SHREYAS IYER IN THE TEAM," the user wrote.