Punjab Kings secured their place in the IPL 2025 final for the first time in 11 years, defeating Mumbai Indians by five wickets in Qualifier 2 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
Match Summary
- Qualifier 2: Punjab Kings vs Mumbai Indians
- Mumbai Indians: 203/6 (20 overs)
- Punjab Kings: 207/5 (19 overs)
- Result: Punjab Kings won by 5 wickets
Mumbai Indians, after being asked to bat first, posted a competitive total of 203 for 6. They had a shaky start with Rohit Sharma falling early in the third over. However, Jonny Bairstow (38 off 24) and Tilak Varma (44 off 29) stabilized the innings with a 51-run stand for the second wicket, counter-attacking effectively during the powerplay.
Suryakumar Yadav (44 off 26) continued his stellar form, crossing 700 runs in the season, and built a crucial 72-run partnership with Varma. Although captain Hardik Pandya struggled with timing, Naman Dhir (37 off 18) provided a late flourish with some clean hitting to help Mumbai cross the 200-mark. For Punjab, Azmatullah Omarzai picked up two key wickets.
In response, Punjab Kings had a shaky start of their own as Prabhsimran Singh departed early. But Josh Inglis (38 off 21) turned the tide with an aggressive knock, including a 20-run over off Jasprit Bumrah.
Mumbai hit back quickly, removing Priyansh Arya (20 off 10) and Inglis in quick succession, leaving Punjab at a tense 72/3.
That’s when captain Shreyas Iyer stepped up. In a match-winning effort, he scored an unbeaten 87 off just 41 balls (5 fours, 8 sixes), anchoring the chase alongside Nehal Wadhera (48 off 29). The duo added a decisive partnership that took Punjab to the brink of victory.
After Wadhera’s dismissal, Iyer accelerated, taking complete control of the innings. With one over to spare, he sealed the deal and took Punjab Kings to the IPL 2025 final a historic achievement, ending their 11-year wait.