IPL2025 : Punjab Kings Reach IPL Final for the Second Time - A New Champion Guaranteed

 


Punjab Kings have secured their place in the IPL final for only the second time in the tournament’s history. Their first appearance came back in 2014, where they suffered a heartbreaking defeat to KKR . Now, they will face Royal Challengers Bangalore — another team that has never won the IPL title — meaning the 2025 season is guaranteed to crown a brand-new champion.

The IPL 2025 final, set for Tuesday, June 3, will feature Punjab Kings against Royal Challengers Bangalore. Punjab sealed their spot after an incredible win in the second qualifier, where captain Shreyas Iyer’s sensational knock led them to a five-wicket victory over five-time champions Mumbai Indians. This marks Punjab’s return to the final after an 11-year wait.

The match, held in Ahmedabad, began late on Sunday night, June 1, and concluded early Monday morning, June 2, due to rain delays that pushed the start by nearly two hours and fifteen minutes. Despite the delay, the match delivered excitement from the first ball to the last. Mumbai, after losing the toss, were forced to bat first and stumbled early when Rohit Sharma (8) was dismissed in the third over but Bairstow was brutal in his strokeplay as he raced to 38 . The remaining batters kept up the aggressive momentum, setting a formidable total of 203 runs.

Key contributions came from Suryakumar Yadav (44), Tilak Varma (44), Naman Dhir (37) in the middle order but Hardik (15) failed to force the pace . This target was especially significant because, in IPL’s 18-year history, Mumbai had never lost a match after posting 200 or more runs — they had always successfully defended such totals. But this time, history took a turn.

Punjab faced early setbacks in their chase, slipping to 72 for 3, including the crucial wicket of Josh Inglis (38) & Arya (20), who had been striking well. But captain Shreyas Iyer was determined to rewrite history and found the perfect partner in young Punjabi batter Nehal Wadhera — who, notably, was part of the Mumbai squad just last season. Together, they stitched a blazing 84-run partnership that swung the momentum in Punjab’s favor.

Although Nehal (48) and Shashank Singh fell within a short span, giving Mumbai a sniff of a comeback, Punjab held firm. Even Jasprit Bumrah, Mumbai’s ace bowler, couldn’t stop them this time, conceding 40 runs in his four overs without taking a wicket. Punjab’s careful yet aggressive approach paid off as captain Iyer smashed four sixes in the 19th over to seal the victory.

Iyer remained unbeaten on a stunning 87 off just 41 balls, decorated with 8 sixes and 5 fours, leading his team to their first final in over a decade.



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