Cricket in India is not just a sport but a religion. The entertainment of watching the players showcase their skills on the field has increased manifold with the inception of the IPL. The amalgamation of players from different countries has increased the appeal of the game so much that we dread missing even a minute of it.
Also, throwing Bollywood stars into the mix has enabled IPL to wiggle its way into the hearts of people.
During the 2018 IPL auction, King XI Punjab owner and Bollywood diva Preity Zinta was seen to be the most eager and active person to include key players into her side but had to deal with unique and extensive regulations of the contest.
Preity gets frustrated
Earlier, all the IPL franchises were asked to retain 5 players for the upcoming season and the rest of the players’ fate would be decided in the mega auctions. The above rule had some spices which stated that teams can also retain a maximum of three players during the auctions by choosing the Right To Match (RTM) card option.
Preity Zinta was very much frustrated with the RTM option in the ongoing auctions as many of the players which she wished to include in her franchise went to their respective old teams.
The bubbly actress had to face the RTM huddles many times in the auction as many of the star players including Shikhar Dhawan, Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo and Ajinkya Rahane were retained by their respective franchises. Preity also showed a strong interest in acquiring the services of young Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan, who has been an outstanding performer in the shortest format of the game.
Rashid played for the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the previous season of the IPL and then went on to become a big match-winner for many T20 franchises across the world, including a successful stint for the Adelaide Strikes in the ongoing Big Bash League 07. But Preity’s hopes were suddenly vanquished once again as SRH retained Rashid for a whopping price of Rs 9 crores.
I am hating the RTM card now : Preity Zinta
Kings XI Punjab in the morning session themselves chose the RTM option to retain the services of explosive South African batsman David Miller. But later their owner Preity Zinta started to hate the RTM option and this happened when her franchise was forced to let go, Rashid Khan, who was retained by SRH in the auctions via RTM card. She expressed her disappointment and frustration towards the retaining method through her Twitter handle.
I officially hate the #RTM card ! Grrrrrrrrr 😬 #VivoIPLAuction #kxipsquad #LivePunjabiPlayPunjabi
— Preity G Zinta (@realpreityzinta) January 27, 2018
