Chandigarh: On June 1, Shreyas Iyer’s entertaining unbeaten 87 off 41 balls helped Punjab Kings enter the final of the IPL after an 11-year wait, as the team chased down Mumbai Indians’ 175 with four balls to spare in Ahmedabad.
Qualifier 2, Narendra Modi Stadium: Punjab Kings beat Mumbai Indians’ 203/6 with an over to spare. Iyer’s blazing innings, studded with eight sixes and five boundaries, blew away MI’s bowling line-up, as this was the first time MI could not defend a 200-plus score in IPL history.
Josh Inglis ignited the chase with a fiery 38 off 21, which included 20 off an over from Jasprit Bumrah. Nehal Wadhera’s belligerent 48 off 29 balls, coupled with an 84-run stand with Iyer, rescued PBKS from early dismissals. Iyer finished the game in the 19th over, hitting four sixes off Ashwani Kumar.
MI, who batted first after a delayed start due to rain, made 203/6 with 44s from Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav and 37 off 18 balls from Naman Dhir. Azmatullah Omarzai emerged as the most effective bowler for PBKS, with a figure of eight.
PBKS will now make their second appearance in an IPL final in 18 years when they clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on June 3 in pursuit of their maiden title.
Iyer, who last led the Mumbai Indians against RCB last week, was lauded for his calmness, having himself become the first captain to promote three different teams to the finals—the Delhi Capitals (2020), Kolkata Knight Riders (2024), and now PBKS. “I love big occasions. The more the occasion, the cooler you are,” Iyer said after the match.
MI coach Mahela Jayawardene was honest: “We didn’t address our yorkers. saying that we shouldn’t have conceded those lengths in the first place was undesirable on our part.” Suryakumar Yadav’s 717 runs in IPL 2025 were second only to B Sai Sudharsan’s 700-plus tally.
Posts on X hailed Iyer’s knock as one of the best of his career, with fans particularly praising his taming of Bumrah. Missed opportunity Some argued that MI failed to utilise spinner Mitchell Santner effectively, as he only managed to dismiss two overs.
Iyer’s exploits have set the stage for a thrilling final against RCB, where both teams are vying for their first-ever title, making it a battle of resilience and redemption.
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