After a wait of 18 years, the Punjab Kings have reached the IPL Final, defeating the Mumbai Indians by 5 wickets in the second qualifier match held yesterday.
Winning the toss, Punjab Kings chose to bowl first, inviting Mumbai to bat. In response, Mumbai Indians posted a competitive total of 203 runs for 6 wickets. Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav top-scored with 44 runs each, while Asmathullah Omarsayi picked up 2 wickets for Punjab.
Chasing a challenging target of 204, Punjab showed resilience and power as they reached 207 for 5 wickets in 19 overs. Skipper Shreyas Iyer played a match-winning unbeaten 87-run knock, while Nehal Wadhera added 48 runs to build the foundation for the chase.
With this thrilling victory, Punjab Kings advanced to the IPL Final, where they will face Royal Challengers Bangalore on the 3rd of this month.
A special highlight of this year’s final is that both Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore are yet to win an IPL title—ensuring that a new champion will be crowned in the 2025 season.