Ahmedabad, June 2 (H.S.): In IPL 2025's second qualifier, Punjab Kings emerged victorious against Mumbai Indians by 5 wickets, securing a place in the finals after 11 years. Captain Shreyas Iyer played a pivotal role, scoring an explosive unbeaten 87 runs, becoming the first captain to lead three different franchises to the IPL final. The match was rain-affected, with Mumbai setting a formidable target of 204 runs, finishing at 203/6. Key contributions came from Surya Kumar Yadav (44), Tilak Verma (44), and Naman Dheer (37), as they stabilized the innings and crossed the 200-run mark without hitting sixes in the final overs.

Punjab started strong, with Josh Inglis scoring 20 runs off one over from Jasprit Bumrah and reaching 64 runs in the powerplay. Nehal Wadhera (48) assisted Iyer, who aggressively attacked bowlers like Reece Topley and Trent Boult. Iyer finished the chase effectively in the 19th over, hitting four sixes and ending the innings with a total of 87 off 41 balls (6 sixes, 4 fours). This victory marked Punjab's first successful chase against Mumbai for over 200 runs. The IPL 2025 final will feature Royal Challengers Bangalore against Punjab Kings, guaranteeing a new champion.

Brief scorecard:

Mumbai Indians – 203/6 (20 overs)

Punjab Kings – 207/5 (19 overs)

Result: Punjab Kings won by 5 wickets.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar