Can Iyer's Unbeaten 87 Lead PBKS to IPL 2025 Glory?

Ahmedabad, June 2 (NationPress) Captain Shreyas Iyer delivered a stellar performance, scoring an impressive 87 not out off 41 balls, leading Punjab Kings to the IPL 2025 final with a five-wicket victory over Mumbai in the Qualifier 2 at the Narendra Modi Stadium. PBKS will face Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the title match on Tuesday, marking a rematch of their earlier encounter in Qualifier 1.

The elimination of MI guarantees that IPL will crown a first-time champion come Tuesday. Iyer's innings was characterized by skill and poise, displaying impeccable pacing as he guided his team to a successful chase of 204 runs with one over remaining.

In addition to hitting five fours and eight sixes, Iyer overcame initial difficulties to single-handedly steer PBKS towards victory, showcasing leadership throughout. This achievement marks Iyer's role as captain in two different teams – PBKS and Kolkata Knight Riders – reaching back-to-back IPL finals. He also led Delhi Capitals to the IPL 2020 finals, making him the first skipper to accomplish this remarkable feat.

In the chase for 204, Prabhsimran Singh started strong with a flicked four against Trent Boult, but Boult eventually dismissed him with a top-edged pull. Josh Inglis maintained PBKS' momentum by hitting Boult for two boundaries.

Priyansh Arya elevated the aggression by scoring a four and a six off Reece Topley. The standout moment of PBKS' power-play occurred in the fifth over when Inglis smashed Jasprit Bumrah for 20 runs, including a flicked four and a towering six.

However, MI retaliated with Ashwani Kumar dismissing Arya, concluding the power-play at 64/2. Hardik Pandya then struck, catching Inglis’ thin top-edge, which resulted in a review being wasted.

Despite Iyer and Nehal Wadhera hitting some boundaries, including three off Hardik Pandya, the asking rate climbed to 12 due to tight overs from Ashwani and Bumrah. Sensing urgency, Iyer hit three consecutive sixes off Topley, including a heave over backward square leg and two lofted shots over long-on and down the ground.

Wadhera responded with two boundaries off Boult, one coming off a leading edge, before hitting Ashwani for six. Iyer reached his fifty off 27 balls with a well-placed four through backward point.

Although Shashank Singh was run out cheaply, Iyer continued to display his skill, hitting two boundaries off yorkers, followed by a massive six over long-on. He finished the innings with another towering six over long-off, propelling PBKS into the IPL final for the first time in 11 years.

Brief Scores: Mumbai Indians 203/6 in 20 overs (Suryakumar Yadav 44, Tilak Varma 44; Azmatullah Omarzai 2-43, Marcus Stoinis 1-14) lost to Punjab Kings 207/5 in 19 overs (Shreyas Iyer 87 not out, Nehal Wadhera 48; Ashwani Kumar 2-55, Hardik Pandya 1-19) by five wickets.