Preity slams report, says didn’t abuse Bangar

Mumbai, May 12 

Preity Zinta, a co-owner of Kings XI Punjab, has slammed a media report for portraying her “as a villain” by claiming that she tore into the team’s coach Sanjay Bangar after their recent one-run loss to Royal Challengers Bangalore in Mohali. A media report claimed that after the match on Monday, she had a spat with Bangar and used a “rant laden with expletives and threats of sacking”.

The actress took to her Facebook page on Thursday to clear the air on the issue. “…For the record, I do have manners and I did go to school. I most definitely did not abuse our coach or anyone else, and definitely did not use the four-letter word. Your story reeks of sexism and is incorrect and exaggerated beyond words,” she wrote.

Clarifying her stance further, Preity posted: “I did speak to Veeru (team mentor Virender Sehwag) and Sanjay for exactly 20 seconds and asked why Axe (Axar Patel) did not bat? … And then left the ground with my husband and in-laws, and I was disappointed.”

Bangar, too, dismissed the report. “After our one-run defeat against RCB, there was the usual post match discussion on the match with Kings XI owners. Some reports in the media have blown the issue totally out of proportion by fabricating a non-existent chain of events,” he posted on his Facebook page.

“No reported abusive or disrespectful language was used against me. Kings XI will continue to fight for its survival in the tournament,” he added.

Kings XI Punjab are languishing at the bottom of the points table with seven losses in 10 matches. — Agencies