Cricket and cinema – these two ‘C’s’ go hand in hand in India, and Punjab Kings have seized that opportunity. They have chosen Shreyas Iyer as their captain for the 18th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). To make this announcement special, they picked an exceptional stage: Bigg Boss 18, India’s most popular reality show, hosted by ‘Bollywood Bhaijaan’ Salman Khan himself.
Last season, he was the captain of another Bollywood megastar Shah Rukh Khan’s team. After winning the title with that team, KKR decided to release their captain for the IPL auction Pool. Then Shreyas became the second most expensive player in this year’s IPL auction. Punjab Kings owner Preity Zinta is also a Bollywood star. India’s most glamorous league has become closely tied to the country’s biggest film industry.
The team has also implemented a strong marketing strategy. Punjab is known for frequently changing captains, having done so 17 times in 18 seasons of the IPL. This time, the change came with a surprise, alongside the appeal of a huge fan base from the entertainment world.
Such a unique presentation by Punjab Kings became the center of discussion not only among cricket fans but also among reality show viewers. The announcement reached crores of people by utilizing the huge viewership of Bigg Boss. This smart move off the field showed how sports and entertainment can be combined.
Salman Khan’s Q&A Session with Shreyas Iyer
Immediately after the announcement, Salman Khan held an interesting Q&A session with Shreyas. Shreyas spoke about his plans on the cricket field, future goals, and his dream of winning the title for Punjab Kings. His confidence and determination were evident throughout. Meanwhile, the Bigg Boss contestants asked various questions to satisfy their curiosity, making the event even livelier.
Some fans of Sanju Samson
and Rishabh Pant started crying over Iyer in space that Shreyas Iyer went to the Big Boss show for the captain announcement, they already know that they will never be invited in any famous Indian Show to promote that show.pic.twitter.com/qZTyImrrdE— SOMAN18 (@Shreyasian96) January 12, 2025
A Smart Move for Punjab Kings’ Brand
This initiative by Punjab Kings not only boosted their brand value but also demonstrated how such announcements can reach new heights in the future. Only time will tell how far Punjab Kings can go under Shreyas Iyer’s leadership. However, this new chapter, which began on the Bigg Boss stage, will remain a memorable moment in both cricket and entertainment.
𝐒𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐧𝐚𝐡𝐢, 𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐛𝐚𝐫 𝐒𝐇𝐑𝐄 𝐚𝐚! 🦁🔥#SherSquad, how excited are you to see Shreyas Iyer as our captain? ©️#ShreyasIyer #SaddaPunjab #PunjabKings pic.twitter.com/Y7u266jCOU
— Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) January 12, 2025
Punjab Kings squad for IPL 2025
Shreyas Iyer (c), Shashank Singh, Prabhsimran Singh, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Nehal Wadhera, Harpreet Brar, Vishnu Vinod, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Yash Thakur, Marco Jansen, Josh Inglis, Lockie Ferguson, Azmatullah Omarzai, Harnoor Pannu, Kuldeep Sen, Priyansh Arya, Aaron Hardie, Musheer Khan, Suryansh Shedge, Xavier Bartlett, Pyla Avinash, Pravin Dubey.
