Is Preity Zinta Playing Her Last Indian Premier League Innings?
Preity Zinta has been the face of Indian Premier League team Kings XI Punjab. The actress is keen to return to the entertainment business.
© BCCI
Preity Zinta has been synonymous with Kings XI Punjab. The Indian Premier League team has had the best Australian and Indian players in their ranks, but the Bollywood actress has been the team's most visible face ever since IPL was launched in 2008. The eighth edition of IPL could well be Preity's last. "IPL doesn't need me anymore", Preity has said in a recent interview.
Preity is a Kings XI Punjab co-owner. She has made policy decisions for the team, was seen at player auctions and has been the team's leading cheerleader throughout. The other co-owners, including her former boyfriend Ness Wadia, has very much lived in Preity's shadows.
In a man's world, Preity has been a successful woman in terms of an owner of a cricket team. She has been free from betting and fixing scandals unlike other team owners linked with Bollywood. Perhaps, now is the time to switch to her first love - showbiz. (Sachin Tendulkar, Preity Zinta in Focus in MI vs KXIP Clash)
Amid reports that Preity will judge the popular dance reality show Nach Baliye, the actress plans to take time off cricket. Kings XI is a settled unit and is doing good business, according to Preity and therefore, now is the time to shift. (Preity Zinta Dazzles for Kings XI Punjab)
© BCCI
"I wanted to focus on cricket that time (in 2008). Acting is not something that you can just do. When you go and start performing, you put yourself in a safety deposit box and you become somebody else. A lot of me was required in cricket because I was starting a new business.
"I went through the whole process on my own and I didn't think it was possible for me to do all that and become somebody else. Something was going to suffer and after all these years in the industry, I didn't want to end up doing films where either production suffered or I as an actor suffered. I was quite happy to take on cricket and do that. I wanted growth," Preity said in an interview.
"IPL doesn't need me anymore". Now I just have to come and watch the game. The business is doing well, the team is doing well. Things have fallen into place. Now doing this (Nach Baliye) or movie sounds exciting to me because I've been away from them for some time. I've come back with a fresh perspective and I'm in a different space. I never thought that I would be so excited about judging a dance reality show," she said.
Preity will be missed at IPL matches for sure. Her bubbly demeanour and dimpled smile surely bowled a few lads over.