The Punjab Kings have qualified for the IPL final for just the second time in their history, ending an 11-year drought with a sensational win over Mumbai Indians in Qualifier 2. Chasing a challenging target of 204, PBKS sealed victory in 19 overs, riding on a magnificent unbeaten 87 off 41 balls from captain Shreyas Iyer.Batting first, Mumbai Indians posted 203 for 6. Skipper Rohit Sharma was dismissed early for just 8, while Jonny Bairstow looked dangerous before falling for 38 off 24 balls. Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav added momentum with identical scores of 44, both dismissed with the score on 142. Naman Dhir then provided a late flourish, hammering 37 off only 18 deliveries to push MI past the 200-run mark.Punjab’s chase began shakily. Openers Prabhsimran Singh (6) and Priyansh Arya (20 off 10) fell inside the powerplay. However, Josh Inglis (38 off 21) and Nehal Wadhera (48 off 29) stabilised the innings with a valuable partnership. With the match in the balance, Shreyas Iyer rose to the occasion, anchoring the chase with a breathtaking knock that included 5 fours and 8 sixes. Marcus Stoinis supported him at the other end as PBKS completed the chase with an over to spare.
This result puts Punjab Kings into their second IPL final. Their previous appearance came in 2014, when they were known as Kings XI Punjab. That final saw them post 199 for 4 in 20 overs against Kolkata Knight Riders, powered by a brilliant 115 off 55 balls from Wriddhiman Saha. However, KKR chased the target down in 19.3 overs, with Manish Pandey top-scoring with a match-winning 94.Quiz: Who’s that IPL player?Punjab’s final record currently stands at 0–1. They now face Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL 2025 final on Tuesday, with a golden opportunity to clinch their maiden title. With Shreyas Iyer leading from the front and the squad peaking at the right time, the Kings will be determined to go one step further and etch their name in IPL history.
