An old tweet by Salman Khan - "Zinta's team won kya?" - has taken over the internet once again after Punjab Kings beat Mumbai Indians by five wickets to secure a place in the IPL 2025 final, reports NDTV.
The tweet, originally posted in 2014, has become a defining mood of the season, often resurfacing every time Preity Zinta's team Punjab Kings, win.
After their latest victory, the official PBKS handle joined the fun and replied using a photo of Salman Khan, writing, "See you in the final, bhai."
The Internet reacted with enthusiasm, calling the tweet a lucky charm for the team and celebrating the victory with memes and jokes.
A fan wrote, "That tweet is ageing better than fine wine." Another one penned, "Every time PBKS wins, this tweet finds its way back. Epic!" A comment read, "Salman bhai ne bol diya toh jeet pakki thi."
While a X user wrote, "Someone frame this tweet already," another commented, "Zinta's team won, bhai. Final mein milte hai!" Yet another tweet read, "Manifestation is real. Thank you, Salman."
Sunday's rain-delayed Qualifier 2 saw Punjab Kings chase down 204 with six balls to spare at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
This win sends them to their second IPL final, the first one since 2014, where they will face Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Both teams are looking for their maiden IPL title in what is set to be a historic clash on June 3.
Shreyas Iyer played a captain's knock, staying unbeaten on 87 off just 41 balls, with five fours and eight sixes. His partnership with Nehal Wadhera (48) helped turn the game around, especially during overs 13 and 14, where Iyer smashed England pacer Reece Topley for three consecutive sixes.
Josh Inglis added 38 runs earlier in the innings, giving the chase momentum after the early loss of Prabhsimran Singh.
Iyer's finishing six sent the Punjab Kings camp into a frenzy. In the stands, co-owner Preity Zinta jumped with excitement, raised her arms in the air and quickly made her way to the field. She hugged Iyer and coach Ricky Ponting and was seen chatting with them. During the presentation ceremony, she also winked playfully at him.
After the win, Preity Zinta's old tweet about Shreyas Iyer resurfaced on social media.
She tweeted, "He is a very down-to-earth guy & an amazing captain. He is tactical, aggressive on the field and the sweetest and the most soft-spoken guy off it. We are very happy that he is leading Punjab Kings & happier we could get him in the auction as he was our first & only choice for captaincy, therefore, the whole auction revolved around him for us as a team."
This marks the second successive IPL final for Iyer as captain, after leading Kolkata Knight Riders to victory in 2024, and Punjab's long-awaited return to the title clash after more than a decade.
The franchise, co-owned by Preity Zinta, has never won the IPL. But the actor has remained a constant presence, cheering for the team from the stands each year.
With one win standing between her team and their first title, all eyes are now on the final showdown - and fans will be watching to see if "Zinta's team won kya?" finally gets a full-throated "Yes."
Bd-pratidin English/Tanvir Raihan
