IPL 2025: Shreyas Iyer’s Heroics Power Punjab Kings to Maiden IPL Final

IPL 2025 to Crown a New Champion. This IPL is guaranteed to produce a first-time winner after Shreyas Iyer inspired Punjab Kings to a five-wicket triumph over Mumbai Indians in the second qualifier, setting up a rematch of Qualifier 1 against Royal Challengers Bangalore in the final.

In a rain-affected encounter in Ahmedabad, Mumbai posted a formidable 200-plus total, thanks to impactful knocks from Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, and Naman Dhir. But PBKS, recovering from their dismal batting show in Q1, held their nerve to script history—completing the first-ever successful 200+ run chase against MI in IPL history. Iyer led from the front with an unbeaten 87 off just 41 balls, becoming the first captain to take three different franchises to an IPL final.

The match turned decisively during the PowerPlay. While both sides had similar returns in the PowerPlay and middle overs overall, PBKS edged ahead in three key overs—taking 20 off Jasprit Bumrah early, and a combined 33 off Reece Topley and Trent Boult during the middle phase. Those bursts of acceleration were pivotal in perfectly pacing the chase.

Bairstow Breaks Free After Cautious Start

Jonny Bairstow and Rohit Sharma began cautiously, exchanging singles for the first eight deliveries to settle in. But Bairstow soon shifted gears, pulling Kyle Jamieson over square leg for a six to ignite the innings. The third over brought a mix of drama—Marcus Stoinis conceded 15 runs but also claimed his first wicket of the season by dismissing Rohit.

Punjab Kings tried to contain Bairstow with a barrage of short deliveries and a packed square leg boundary, but the Englishman countered effectively. He hammered Azmatullah Omarzai for a boundary and a six in the sixth over, setting the tone for Mumbai Indians’ innings.

Suryakumar-Tilak Duo Drives MI Through the Middle Overs

Vijaykumar Vyshak, impressive in his previous outing at this venue, struck again by dismissing Jonny Bairstow with his third knuckle ball of the over. Bairstow, unable to read the change of pace, attempted a ramp shot but only managed to edge it to Josh Inglis behind the stumps. Yuzvendra Chahal, returning to the XI, began with control but was soon dismantled by the brilliance of Suryakumar Yadav. The MI star audaciously slog-swept a six behind square despite a packed leg-side field, then pierced point for a four, forcing Chahal to rethink his lengths.

At the other end, Tilak Varma took on the pacers while Suryakumar crossed the 700-run mark for the season with a boundary off Kyle Jamieson in the 13th over. It marked the 16th time this season Suryakumar scored 25 or more, though his stay ended in the 14th with a mistimed slog sweep straight to deep square leg. PBKS pulled things back slightly before the death, as Tilak too departed, miscuing a slower ball from Jamieson straight down the ground.

No Sixes, Yet MI Cross the 200 Mark

PBKS had a firm grip on the game in the early part of the death overs. Vijaykumar Vyshak began with a tidy spell against Hardik Pandya and Naman Dhir, but momentum shifted with a costly overthrow that leaked four extra runs. Arshdeep Singh stuck to his plan of hitting the deck hard and taking pace off, but Dhir found ways to score—twice clearing short fine leg and then flicking a full delivery behind square for boundaries.

Remarkably, PBKS didn’t concede a single six in the final five overs and even removed Hardik for a low score. However, Dhir’s impactful cameo—an unbeaten 37 off 18 balls—was enough to lift Mumbai Indians to 203, a total they had historically defended every time in IPL history.

Inglis Takes Down Bumrah in Blistering PowerPlay

Trent Boult’s clever change of pace accounted for Prabhsimran Singh in the third over, but Priyansh Arya continued his strong form against MI. Reece Topley, making his first appearance of the season, tried emulating PBKS’s strategy of pace-off deliveries but struggled with his lengths, offering scoring opportunities.

Enter Josh Inglis, who came out firing—launching a stunning assault on Jasprit Bumrah with two fours and two sixes in a 20-run over that rocked MI. Although Ashwani Kumar dismissed Arya with the first ball of the sixth over, Inglis ensured Punjab Kings finished the PowerPlay on a high with another boundary to cap a dominant start.

Iyer-Wadhera Partnership Keeps PBKS Steady in the Chase

Hardik Pandya made an immediate impact with the ball, removing the dangerous Josh Inglis with a short delivery that was edged behind—sending the batter back after a failed review. He continued with the short-ball tactic against the new batters and nearly struck again, but Trent Boult spilled a catch at fine leg, giving Nehal Wadhera a lifeline. As Wadhera and Shreyas Iyer began to build momentum, Hardik turned to Jasprit Bumrah, who responded with a tight seven-run over.

However, the pressure eased quickly as Shreyas unleashed three consecutive sixes off Reece Topley, reading the slower balls with precision. Boult returned and started well, but luck favoured Wadhera—his top-edge sailing over short third for four, followed by another boundary off the next ball. These two overs swung the momentum in PBKS’ favour, allowing them to play Bumrah’s third over cautiously and still enter the death overs with a manageable chase ahead.

Shreyas Iyer Seals the Deal with a Captain’s Knock

Nehal Wadhera opened the death overs with a straight six off Ashwani Kumar, putting the young pacer under pressure. Ashwani responded brilliantly, tempting Wadhera into a loose shot that was comfortably taken by Mitchell Santner at cover. But Shreyas Iyer remained unfazed. He counterattacked with a flicked six over the leg side and then showcased surgical placement by threading a four between short third and backward point off Boult.

A brief hiccup followed as Shashank Singh was run out by a direct hit from Hardik Pandya, but Shreyas continued to steer the chase, slicing a boundary through third man in the 16th over. Perhaps the defining moment came when he expertly guided a yorker from Jasprit Bumrah for four, gaining just enough cushion for a calm finish.

In the 19th over, Shreyas finished it in emphatic fashion—launching four towering sixes off Ashwani to complete the chase and take Punjab Kings into their maiden IPL final.

Brief Scores

Mumbai Indians: 203/6 in 20 overs (Tilak Varma 44, Suryakumar Yadav 44, Naman Dhir 37; Azmatullah Omarzai 2/43)
Punjab Kings: 207/5 in 19 overs (Shreyas Iyer 87*, Nehal Wadhera 48; Hardik Pandya 1/19)
Result: Punjab Kings won by 5 wickets.

What’s Next?

All eyes now turn to Tuesday’s grand finale — a historic IPL 2025 title clash between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings, with both teams aiming to lift their maiden IPL trophy. A new champion is guaranteed, making it a high-stakes showdown between two long-standing title hopefuls.

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