
Former Rajasthan Royal co-owner threatens to expose finiachial irregularities
Former Rajasthan Royals co-owner Raj Kundra has sent ripples through the cricketing world with his announcement of impending revelations against a key figure linked to the Indian Premier League franchise. Taking to social media, Kundra hinted at releasing documented evidence of financial malpractice, including offshore money movement, irregular transactions, and what he described as deliberate suppression of co-promoter rights.He plans to go public with his claims during a press conference scheduled for June 2, with venue details expected to follow shortly. Kundra has promised to let the documents speak for themselves, asserting that his evidence will shed light on the inner workings of the franchise's financial dealings.advertisement
'I will soon be releasing documented evidence exposing serious financial misconduct, money laundering through offshore structures and hidden transactions involving a key promoter of the Rajasthan Royals. This includes willful suppression of co-promoter rights and entitlements, pattern of deceit and manipulation in shareholder dealings. The truth will be shared soon, and the documents will speak for themselves," Kundra wrote on his post.This explosive disclosure comes as yet another blow to Rajasthan Royals, who are already under scrutiny after a disastrous IPL 2025 campaign. The team finished 9th in the standings out of 10 teams, managing only four wins in 14 matches and failing to secure a spot in the playoffs.The timing has raised eyebrows, especially since Kundra's announcement follows the trailer release of The Traitors, a new Amazon Prime reality series where he appears as a contestant. Hosted by Karan Johar and set to premiere on June 12.advertisementKundra and his wife, actress Shilpa Shetty, had acquired a minority 11.7% stake in the Royals in 2009 but severed ties in 2015 after Kundra was barred from cricket-related activities due to his involvement in the 2013 IPL betting scandal.While the full scope of the alleged wrongdoing is yet to be unveiled, Kundra's claims have already triggered speculation and concern among cricket fans and league stakeholders — threatening to cast a fresh shadow over the Royals' already turbulent time.Stay updated on IPL 2025 with India Today! Get match schedules, team squads, live score, and the latest IPL points table for CSK, MI, RCB, KKR, SRH, LSG, DC, GT, PBKS, and RR. Plus, keep track of the top contenders for the IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap. Don't miss a moment!Must Watch
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Time of India
21 minutes ago
- Time of India
Shreyas Iyer: All rise for the 'Sarpanch' of Punjab Kings
Shreyas Iyer played an unbeatable knock for the ages in IPL Qualifier 2 for Punjab Kings against Mumbai Indians. (AP) in Ahmedabad: In the past few weeks, a podcast featuring Punjab Kings' (PBKS) Shreyas Iyer has gone viral, where he is humorously promised titles, a house, an entire colony, and even a Canadian bride if he wins the IPL trophy for Punjab Kings. In the podcast, "The Boundary Boys," the host says: "Veer ji Punjab nu IPL jitata na saari zindagi li sarpanch sadda vich Iyer naam di colony assi kat ke devange. Shreyas Iyer diyaan sadkein bana denge. 100 kille road te enu zameen de diyange, daah kille vich Kothi pa devange hor teh hod Canada de kudi de naal rishta karwa deveange.(If he wins the IPL for Punjab Kings, he will be our chief for the rest of his life. We will build a new colony in his name. We will build roads under his name. We will give him 100 acre land near the road. We will give him 10 acres to build his mansion. On top of it, we will get him married to a Canadian girl)." Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! This sums up the mood of the PBKS fanbase. On the day of Qualifier 1, a PBKS fan outside the New PCA Stadium told "MLA banwa devange" (We'll make him an MLA). by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Quanto costa trasformare la vasca in doccia? Remail Scopri Undo Around an hour past midnight on Monday, Shreyas Iyer furthered PBKS' foundation towards maiden IPL title. He not only finished the game, hitting four sixes in the 19th over against Ashwani Kumar of Mumbai Indians (MI) to help PBKS chase down an uphill 204-run target, with an over to spare, but he also took them one stage closer to their first IPL title. Punjab's captain fantastic didn't even celebrate once he hit the winning six. It was cold at every level. He just hugged his partner Marcus Stoinis, removed his helmet, put his gloves in it, and shook hands with MI players. The only time he showed a bit of emotion was while hugging PBKS coach Ricky Ponting. The duo have forged an unforgettable partnership and built a team from scratch. And now they are in the final. He has not only been ice cold on the field but even in his interviews, one can feel his calmness. After being on the losing side of a one-sided match against RCB, he had said: "We have lost the battle, not the war." After beating MI, he said: "I love such big occasions. I always say to myself and also to my colleagues in the team that the bigger the occasion, the calmer you are, you get the big results." If one can take a cue from Shreyas' two post-match interviews, the key takeaway is that the job is just half done for him, and he is gunning for the silverware. The Special One On Sunday-turned-Monday, Shreyas became the first IPL captain to take three different teams to the IPL finals. But this time, it was more special. It was against all odds. A year after guiding Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to their third title, the franchise decided not to retain their captain. Ponting and Punjab trusted him, and the duo — who guided Delhi Capitals to their first final in 2020 — have unwound their magic spell once again for the perennial wooden spooners. What makes Shreyas Iyer's leadership even more remarkable is that he has built the team's core around six uncapped Indian players — Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh , Vijaykumar Vyshak, and Harpreet Brar. The opening duo of Priyansh and Prabhsimran have formed one of the most explosive partnerships in this year's IPL, consistently providing blistering starts. In the middle order, Nehal Wadhera has emerged as a dependable anchor — notably forging an 84-run stand off just 47 balls with Iyer for the fourth wicket against MI. Shashank Singh has developed a reputation as a finisher, delivering crucial cameos in tight chases. On the bowling front, Vijaykumar Vyshak has been a reliable force, especially in challenging conditions — as he demonstrated with his knuckle balls on a rainy evening in Ahmedabad, dismissing Jonny Bairstow with one such delivery. Meanwhile, left-arm spinner Harpreet Brar has quietly delivered match-winning performances, picking up 10 wickets in eight matches, including a Player of the Match effort against Rajasthan Royals in the league stage. The cool guy 'I don't want to be a one-season wonder': Punjab Kings' Shashank Singh PBKS batter Shashank Singh, in an interview with opened up about various facets of captain Shreyas Iyer and why he is so successful. "He is a captain who always gives freedom to his players. He is someone who treats everyone — and when I say everyone, I mean everyone in the team, the 100-120 staff members we have — he treats them equally," said Shashank. "He spends time with everyone. He is someone who is extremely positive. He will always back you. If you tell him, 'I want to go first and hit everyone,' he will say, 'Go and hit — and hit in the next match also, hit after that too.' He is someone who will give you that extra freedom as well. "As a captain, he is someone who backs his instinct — that is his best trait. He will listen to everyone, because I've seen a few captains who just say no to everything. He is someone who will say, 'Give me your ideas, and I will surely listen to them. Obviously, if I like it, I'll go ahead with it.' "He makes sure that the players should speak, rather than him or the support staff. So, that is the best part — he listens. He is a very good listener." "I mean, he has his own swag, he has his own aura, and the way he handles everyone. I mean, people from the outside think he is arrogant, but he is just the cool guy," he added. The shot of the tournament Only time will tell whether Shreyas will be able to do the unthinkable on June 3, but against MI, he did something beyond everyone's wildest imagination. He played one of the shots of the tournament — and no, it wasn't a six, but a four. On the second ball of Bumrah's last over, Iyer carved out a boundary from a pinpoint yorker, which even left someone like AB de Villiers, who has hit some of the most astounding shots the world has seen, gasping for breath. "Shot of the IPL for me. It is hitting the middle stump. It is the perfect yorker & you can't get it away. That is breaking the bottom of the bat, that is breaking my stumps as well if I am facing that, and Shreyas put it away for four," De Villiers said on JioHotstar after the match. In the 18th season of the IPL, Iyer was PBKS' 17th captain. The frequent change in captaincy tells you a lot about the kind of franchise Punjab is. And now, after all these years, they've finally found a 'Sarpanch' — someone their fans adore. If he manages to lift the trophy on Tuesday, his name will be etched in the folklores of Punjab and PBKS fans forever.


Time of India
21 minutes ago
- Time of India
Murali Karthik slammed for shocking slip up during IPL Qualifier 2 commentary
Murali Kartik's commentary on PBKS's Priyansh Arya has sparked controversy (Image via X) Former India cricketer Murali Kartik sparked controversy during his commentary of the IPL 2025 Qualifier 2 match between Punjab Kings and Mumbai Indians at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. His on-air comment about "the demise of Priyansh Arya" drew widespread criticism from fans, who demanded action from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The controversial comment occurred while Kartik was summarizing Punjab's successful chase of 204 runs. Social media users expressed outrage, with many calling for his removal from commentary duties. The 48-year-old made the controversial statement as MI claimed the wicket of PBKS opener Priyansh Arya, who departed the crease after adding 20 runs to the scoreboard. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! The commentator's 'poor' choice of words did not sit well with fans on social media, who labelled it as an unforgivable mistake and even called for removal from his duties. Punjab Kings secured a five-wicket victory over Mumbai Indians, advancing to their first IPL final since 2014. The win sets up the summit clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on June 3, guaranteeing a new IPL champion. IPL 2025 Winner Prediction: What Greenstone Lobo's Astrology says Punjab captain Shreyas Iyer led his team's chase with an outstanding unbeaten 87 runs off 41 balls, including five boundaries and eight sixes. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch CFD với công nghệ và tốc độ tốt hơn IC Markets Đăng ký Undo His innings proved decisive in the chase as PBKS secured the win with an over to spare. Nehal Wadhera also contributed significantly to the win, scoring 48 runs from 29 balls. He formed a crucial 84-run partnership for the fourth wicket with the captain. Poll Should Murali Kartik be removed from commentary duties after his controversial comment? Yes, he should be removed No, he should be given another chance Only if it happens again It depends on the BCCI's decision The upcoming final will mark the fourth meeting between the two teams this season. Royal Challengers Bengaluru holds an advantage, having won two of their previous three encounters. Both victories for RCB came in consecutive matches played in Chandigarh. Their most recent triumph was an eight-wicket win in the first Qualifier on Thursday. Who's that IPL player? The final will feature the two teams that finished at the top of the league table. For Punjab's skipper, it represents a second straight final appearance, following his successful leadership of Kolkata Knight Riders to victory in 2024.


Hindustan Times
31 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Nita Ambani hides her face, gives Aakash Ambani long, hard look as '6th title' prediction goes awfully wrong with MI out
Mumbai Indians were knocked out of IPL 2025 by a spirited Punjab Kings led by an on-fire Shreyas Iyer, marking a fifth year without a title for the most successful team in IPL and matching their longest trophy-less drought since the five years of the competition's history. For a team so accustomed to success, and therefore an ownership group that finds itself in consistent pursuit of it, a fifth year without a trophy or even a final is a big knock against arguably the most talented team in the tournament. This came to the fore during the broadcast from the ground, as MI owners Nita Ambani and Akash Ambani provided some reactions as the team's defence of 204 derailed and came apart in Ahmedabad on Sunday night. Sitting in their customary sofa right behind the boundary line, cameras picked up Nita Ambani not looking best pleased after Shreyas Iyer put MI's bowlers to the sword with one of his eight sixes on the night enroute to a special innings of 87*(41). She turned to her son with a look that suggested disappointment at what she was seeing on the pitch. Ambani had already reacted to a moment earlier in the game where Nehal Wadhera was dropped early in his innings, MI missing an opportunity to swing the momentum of the game in their favour as Trent Boult slipped and dropped the former MI southpaw. To make matters worse, the ball went for a boundary, leading to stressed reactions from both bowler and captain Hardik Pandya, as well as from Nita Ambani, as she hid her face in disappointment at that moment. With the Ambani mother-son duo having been consistent features of MI matches from their place on the sideline over the course of IPL 2025, they have provided consistent snapshots, some of which have come back to bite them with MI now eliminated. After MI beat Delhi Capitals at the Wankhede Stadium to seal their place in this year's playoffs, Ambani was seen holding up six fingers, indicating her belief in the team to go on and win a record-setting sixth IPL title. It wasn't to be for the team, as they had 200+ chased down against them for the first time in team history. Instead, it will be a battle between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and PBKS to decide which of these two teams can be the one to lift their first ever IPL title.