Qualifier 2, IPL 2025: Shreyas Iyer’s Blistering 87 Powers Punjab Kings to Final After 11-Year Wait
Punjab Kings to meet Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2025 Final; Iyer leads dramatic 204-run chase against Mumbai Indians
In one of the most electrifying performances of the season, Punjab Kings skipper Shreyas Iyer produced a knock for the ages, hammering an unbeaten 87 off just 41 balls to guide his side to their first IPL final in 11 years. Punjab chased down a daunting target of 204 set by Mumbai Indians with six balls to spare in the second qualifier on Sunday, June 1.
This emphatic victory means the 2025 Indian Premier League will see a new champion crowned, as Punjab Kings gear up to face Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the final on Tuesday, June 3.
Just days after a crushing defeat to RCB in Qualifier 1, where Punjab crumbled for 101, Iyer’s rallying cry — “We have lost the battle, not the war” — turned prophetic. Displaying composure, aggression, and flair, Iyer turned the tide with a stunning counterattack, smashing eight sixes and five boundaries at a staggering strike rate of 212.80.
His partnership with Nehal Wadhera proved pivotal. The duo stitched together an 84-run stand for the fourth wicket in just 47 deliveries, steadying the innings after a tentative start. Wadhera contributed a crucial 48 off 29, including a flurry of boundaries that kept the scoreboard ticking.
Mumbai Indians, after a remarkable resurgence in the second half of the season, saw their campaign end in heartbreak. Despite winning seven of their last eight games to reach the playoffs and dominating Gujarat Titans in the Eliminator, Hardik Pandya’s men couldn’t contain Punjab’s power-packed chase.
Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya opened cautiously, seemingly impacted by the previous game’s collapse. Early wickets, including that of Josh Inglis, left Punjab at 72 for 3 in the eighth over. But Iyer and Wadhera quickly shifted gears, countering MI’s attack with intent.
Mumbai attempted to regain control through disciplined spells from Ashwani Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah, but it wasn’t enough. Iyer, unfazed, launched a ferocious assault — including a 19-run over off Reece Topley and a brutal attack on Ashwani Kumar in the 18th over, where he sent four sixes into the stands to close the game.
Even Bumrah’s precision at the death wasn’t enough to contain Iyer. In one of the highlights of the night, he delicately guided a searing yorker past the keeper for four — a shot that AB de Villiers later hailed as the “shot of the tournament.”
After 18 years of waiting, Punjab Kings will contest only their second IPL final — and the captain who led them there has made it clear they’re not done yet.
“I love these big moments. The bigger the occasion, the calmer I try to be. That’s when the magic happens,” said Iyer after the match. “Today was all about staying composed and backing myself.”
As Punjab prepare to face RCB for the title, one thing is certain: the final promises fireworks, and with Shreyas Iyer in this form, Punjab’s dreams may just become reality.
