Shreyas Iyer’s brilliance carries Punjab Kings into IPL final, beat Mumbai Indians by 5 wickets

Skipper Shreyas Iyer uncorked a remarkable unbeaten 87 to carry Punjab Kings to a five-wicket win over Mumbai Indians in the Qualifier 2 in Ahmedabad on Sunday, and to the IPL final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, ensuring the league will have a new champion on June 3.

This will be Punjab’s first title clash since 2014, and second successive for Iyer as captain after marshalling Kolkata Knight Riders’ triumph in 2024.

In an attritional chase of 204, Iyer stood tall with an imperious knock (87 not out, 41b, 5x4, 8x6) as PBKS moved past the target with an over to spare.

Once Mumbai posted a 200-plus total, Punjab required someone to play with composure and a sense of purpose, and they found the best man in their ranks putting his hand up.

However, Iyer and PBKS will also profusely thank the plucky Nehal Wadhera for exploring his two reprieves to peel off an important 48 off 29 balls and adding 84 runs for the fourth wicket with his captain.

Naman Dhir misjudged a catch off Mitchell Santner at deep midwicket and allowed a four in the ninth over while Boult spilled a catch at fine-leg off Pandya in the 10th over when Wadhera was on 13.

But the star cast was Iyer as he nonchalantly guided the PBKS’ hunt.

Josh Inglis (38 off 21 balls, 5x4s, 2x6s) also played his part early after the early loss of Prahsimran Singh (6) to Boult (1/38) and Priyansh Arya (20).

Inglis went after Jasprit Bumrah in the sixth over to smack two sixes and as many fours and collect 20 runs.

Bumrah’s final figures 4-0-40-0 was also a just reflection of MI’s struggles with the ball on the night.

However, the tables turned in the 13th over bowled by pacer Reece Topley, with the Englishman putting three deliveries in Iyer’s hitting arc and the batter dispatched each of them into the stands, signalling Punjab gaining steam.

Soon, Iyer finished off the chase with four sixes in the 19th over off left-arm pacer Ashwini Kumar.

Earlier, a collective batting performance led by Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma took Mumbai Indians to a par 203 for six in the rain-delayed contest.

While no overs were lost as the contest got underway nearly two hours and 15 minutes after the scheduled start time, it was Mumbai Indians who emerged their noses slightly ahead.

Jonny Bairstow (38), Tilak Varma (44) and Suryakumar Yadav (44) kept Mumbai on track for a big total, while Naman Dhir’s late exploits (18-ball 33) pushed them past the 200-run mark.

Unlike the last game, Rohit Sharma (4) failed to capitalise on an early reprieve when Azmatullah Omarzai (2/43) dropped a tough chance running behind from short third off Kyle Jamieson (1/30) in the third over.

Unfazed by the early blow, MI motored on to reach a scoring rate of 10 runs an over which they maintained through the course of the innings.

Tilak smacked his second ball down the ground for a six while Bairstow unleashed powerful strokes on either side of the wickets as they added 51 runs for the second wicket in a little under six overs to stage a robust recovery.

MI scored 65/1 in the powerplay with Bairstow going after Omarzai in the sixth over to collect 15 runs but his charge ended in the next over when Vysakh Vijaykumar had the MI opener caught behind off a scoop shot which went straight to the wicketkeeper Josh Inglis.

Suryakumar’s arrival at the crease saw Punjab immediately summoning Yuzvendra Chahal (1/39 ) but the move did not work until the final over of the leg-spinner.

Suryakumar (44 off 26 balls, 4x4s, 3x6s) swept Chahal for a six and hit a glorious down the ground boundary to keep the pressure on the leg-spinner, until he fell on the penultimate ball of the spinner’s spell.

Tilak, who hit a couple of sixes and fours to make 44 off 29 balls, perished when a mistimed stroke off Jamieson reached Priyansh Arya at mid-off.

With Suryakumar and Tilak dismissed in quick succession, MI skipper Hardik Pandya (15 off 12 balls) could not really force the pace.