The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma has opened up about his bond with the Punjab Kings (PBKS) co-owner Preity Zinta ahead of the upcoming IPL 2026.
Jitesh Sharma’s journey in the IPL is nothing short of inspiring. Unlike many stars who shine early, the Vidarbha batter made his mark slowly but steadily. Over time, he grew into one of the most dependable finishers in the league, especially for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).
His calm approach in crunch moments helped RCB to end their IPL title drought last year. Before being part of the RCB, Jitesh played for the Punjab Kings. He spent three seasons with the PBKS and became a reliable middle-order batter and even served as the vice-captain.
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Ahead of the upcoming IPL 2026, which will begin on March 28 with RCB taking on SRH in Bengaluru, Jitesh shared that his bond with Preity Zinta was special. The Indian wicketkeeper said that the PBKS co-owner became like an elder sister to him, helping him off the field as well.
Jitesh Sharma said on Ranveer Allahbadia's podcast, "I respect her (Preity Zinta) a lot. She personally texts me and calls me too. I see her like my older sister. When I was in the IPL, somehow, she got to know that I’m from Himachal, and she’s from Himachal too. So, I would talk to her for hours, just having normal discussions about everything. She is very sweet.”
PBKS played key role in shaping Jitesh Sharma's career
The RCB star also gave credit to the Punjab Kings for shaping his career. He added, “And joining Punjab Kings was a life-changing moment for me, I feel. There was only one bid at that time, from these people, the Punjab Kings. And I am very grateful for this, because everything I am today, I am because of Punjab Kings.”
Jitesh also recalled how Preity Zinta personally reached out after PBKS failed to secure him at the mega auction, yet she celebrated his success and asked him to invest well. He noted, “They picked me; I got a chance after two matches, and I performed. And in this auction too, they went for me… they used the right-to-match card on me for INR 7 crore.”
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A big-sister–little-brother level: Jitesh on his bond with Preity Zinta
He continued, “But RCB bid INR 11 crores, which they couldn't match. After that, Ma'am (Preity Zinta) called me, saying, ‘I am very sorry that I couldn’t get you,' meaning it was all on a big-sister–little-brother level. She wanted me to stay with them; I also wanted to… but she was very happy that I went for 11 crores. She told me to invest well.”
Notably, Jitesh played a key role in RCB winning their first-ever IPL trophy last year, having amassed 261 runs in 15 matches at a strike rate of 176.35. He was also the RCB vice-captain and even captained the franchise in a few games when Rajar Patidar was unavailable. He also played 16 T20I matches for India and was part of the 2025 Asia Cup-winning side.
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