Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India]: Actor and Punjab Kings (PBKS) co-owner Preity Zinta took a firm stand against gender bias on Tuesday when she responded sharply to a distasteful comment made during a fan interaction on X (formerly Twitter).
During the session, a user jokingly suggested that cricketer Glenn Maxwell’s underwhelming performance in the IPL 2025 season was somehow linked to the fact that he and Zinta “did not get married.”
“Will You Ask This to Male Team Owners Too?”
The post read:
“Mam Maxwell ki aapse shadi ni Hui isiliye vo aapko team se accha ni khelta tha?”
Zinta did not take the comment lightly and responded with a dignified but powerful message, calling out gender discrimination in the corporate and sports world.
“Will you ask this question to the male team owners of all teams, or is this discrimination just towards the women? I never knew how difficult it is for women to survive in corporate setups until I got into cricket,” she wrote.
“Please Stop With the Gender Bias”
Zinta continued:
“I’m sure you asked this question out of humour, but I hope you can actually look at your question and understand what you are trying to say — because if you really understand it, it’s not pretty! I think I have earned my stripes by working very hard for the past 18 years, so please give me the respect I deserve and stop with the gender bias. Thank you.”
Her response was widely praised online, with users lauding her for handling the situation with grace and clarity, and for highlighting the everyday sexism women in leadership roles continue to face.
Punjab Kings Riding High in IPL 2025
Zinta’s team, the Punjab Kings, is currently having an impressive IPL season. They sit at third place on the points table, with:
- 7 wins,
- 3 losses, and
- 1 no-result,
earning 15 points so far.
Key contributors include:
- Prabhsimran Singh (487 runs, 5 fifties in 12 matches),
- Priyansh Arya (417 runs, 1 century and 2 fifties), and
- Captain Shreyas Iyer (405 runs and strong leadership on field).
The Kings will look to carry this momentum forward when they face the Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur on May 18.