Punjab Kings co-owner Preity Zinta’s excitement quickly turned to visible concern as her team suffered a devastating collapse against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Qualifier 1 of the IPL 2025. Initially seen cheering from the stands, Zinta’s expressions changed drastically as her side was bundled out for a mere 101 in just 14.1 overs, marking a dismal outing in their first playoff appearance since 2014.

Punjab’s downfall began early when in-form opener Priyansh Arya mistimed a drive off Yash Dayal, gifting an easy catch to Krunal Pandya. Prabhsimran Singh showed early promise with two quick boundaries but perished soon after, edging one off Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The top order collapse continued as captain Shreyas Iyer, a key figure this season, played a rash shot on just his third ball and was caught behind off Josh Hazlewood.

Hazlewood further dented Punjab by removing fellow Australian Josh Inglis with a well-directed rising delivery. The middle-order panic set in, with batters throwing away their wickets under pressure. Marcus Stoinis and Shashank Singh tried to revive the innings but succumbed to Suyash Sharma’s clever leg-spin, misreading his googlies while attempting slog sweeps.

Debutant Musheer Khan, brought in as an impact substitute, couldn’t add stability either, falling to another well-disguised delivery from Suyash. Punjab’s aggressive intent backfired spectacularly on a pitch where shot selection was crucial, and the home team was left staring at an uphill battle.

Zinta’s worry was palpable as each wicket fell, her early optimism replaced by helplessness. Despite the crushing blow, Punjab may draw faint hope from a prior league match at the same venue, where they defended a low total successfully.

However, replicating that feat after such a batting collapse looks increasingly unlikely. (With inputs from Agencies)