Rahul very respectful towards women, sad to see how "Koffee" controversy turned out: Zinta

India batsman KL Rahul is "very respectful towards women" and it was sad to see him become a subject of nationwide criticism in the wake of his and Hardik Pandya's sexist remarks on a chat chow, Kings XI Punjab co-owner and noted actor Preity Zinta said Friday.

Both Rahul and Pandya were handed a provisional suspension for their controversial comments on 'Koffee with Karan', a show Zinta herself has appeared on. Their suspension was lifted but they still face a BCCI inquiry conducted by Ombudsman DK Jain.

"It is so good to see Rahul back in form. He is a very very nice guy. What happened is in the past. I just feel the bad the way the whole thing turned out but you live and learn," Zinta told PTI.

"Actually, he is very sweet and respectful with women, so I don't know the way it all came out. As I said, these are teachable moments."
"My all time favourite is Chris Gayle. He is unbelievable. He is a true superstar, in terms of how he comes across, in terms of how he plays, he how he is with the youngsters, he is so humble, he is always on time, he is just unbelievable and he is so much fun at the same time."
"We broke even a long time ago. But yes, when I got into the IPL, I wanted to win the title, especially coming from Punjab, where people have the largest heart, we want to win for them, we owe it to our fans. I am really keeping my fingers crossed this time."