Punjab Kings are going through a difficult phase in IPL 2026. After a strong start to the season, the team suddenly lost momentum and now finds itself surrounded by controversy off the field as well.
Over the last few days, several rumours about dressing room issues, player discipline and fitness problems started spreading heavily on social media.
As the discussion became bigger, Punjab Kings, Preity Zinta and Prabhsimran Singh all reacted.
The controversy started during PBKS’ losing streak. After four straight defeats, many social media pages began claiming that everything inside the camp was not normal.
Some reports spoke about players not taking practice seriously. Other rumours claimed that some players were spending too much time gaming late at night. There were also talks about tension inside the dressing room involving captain Shreyas Iyer.
One rumour that became especially viral was linked to Prabhsimran Singh. Social media posts claimed that the opener had gained “10 kilos in seven days.”
None of these reports were officially confirmed. But because Punjab Kings were already losing matches, the rumours quickly spread everywhere online.
As the noise increased, Punjab Kings released an official statement. The franchise said criticism and banter are normal in cricket, but fake stories should not be spread for engagement.
The team first posted a stronger version of the statement mentioning sports journalists directly. Later, that version was deleted and replaced with a softer message asking everyone to verify facts before sharing information.
That change itself became another topic of discussion among fans online.
Soon after that, Preity Zinta also reacted. Without naming anyone, she said there is a difference between normal hate and calculated misinformation.
The biggest attention came from Prabhsimran Singh’s Instagram story. After the fitness rumours became viral, the PBKS opener uploaded a shirtless picture with a “shush” emoji.
Many fans saw it as his direct reply to the body weight allegations. Because it came shortly after the franchise’s statements, the story spread rapidly across social media.
Still, a large section of fans believe Punjab Kings players should focus more on improving their cricket rather than responding to rumours on social media.
PBKS started IPL 2026 brilliantly and looked like serious title contenders in the beginning. But their batting has looked inconsistent in recent matches, while the team’s overall energy and body language have also been questioned.
For Prabhsimran Singh too, many fans feel the best response would be runs on the field and maintaining top fitness rather than social media reactions.
Right now, Punjab Kings can only stop the outside noise by winning matches again and bringing their campaign back on track.
