Punjab Kings record the historic chase to qualify for the IPL Finals after 11 years, defeating Mumbai Indians by 5 wickets. MI coach Mahela Jayawardene explains the reason behind the tough loss for the 5-time champions, highlighting the dropped catches and a few blunders.
Shreyas Iyer Powers PBKS to Final with Blazing 87
Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer played one of the best innings of IPL 2025 to take his team to the finals. His knock of 87 off 41 balls was built perfectly from ball one. He formed a crucial partnership with Jos Inglis, allowing the Aussie to take on the bowlers, followed by a match-winning 84-run partnership (off 47 balls) with uncapped Nehal Wadhera, who turned the momentum alongside his captain.
Shreyas then played a clutch knock off 87(41) balls, to seal the game in style, to take Punjab Kings to the IPL 2025 final. His memorable innings included 8 cleanly hit sixes, which ultimately crushed the Mumbai Indians' hopes of a sixth title.
Impressed by this historic chase, MI coach Mahela Jayawardene praised Shreyas Iyer and Punjab Kings for their effort:
“Punjab Kings were solid, especially while chasing — and that’s not easy. They executed well.”
Jayawardene Reflects on Missed Chances and Tactical Errors
He later pointed out a key moment — a dropped catch by Trent Boult at fine leg when Nehal Wadhera was on 13. That miss proved costly. Jayawardene also acknowledged the role of luck, saying that while it favored them in previous games, it didn’t this time:
“We made a few blunders with those two dropped catches. But that’s how the game goes. We had luck on our side in the previous match, so it balances out. Overall, it was a good game of cricket, and we came up short. It’s as simple as that.”
While fielding mistakes played a role, one of the biggest questions was why Hardik Pandya and Mitchell Santner didn’t complete their spells. Both were bowling well compared to the rest, and it was surprising that the captain chose not to bowl himself and instead handed the ball to Reece Topley. That over turned the momentum, with Shreyas Iyer smashing three massive sixes.
Jayawardene addressed the decision:
"Yeah, I think he bowled two good overs, and we probably felt we had other options from that end. We tried Ashwani, who bowled well, and then brought in Bumrah to try and get a breakthrough. The game slipped away from us at that point. We felt our main bowlers could help us pick up wickets, which was really the only way back into the game. The last over was kept for him anyway, in case there was a chance. Sure, there could be a lot of 'ifs and buts,' but the truth is, we didn't play a perfect game and we paid the price for it.”
Punjab Kings, who are ready for their final battle, will face Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the big finale set to happen at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, and the live streaming of the match will start from 6:30 PM on 03/06/2025, Tuesday.
Stay tuned for more updates on the IPL 2025 Finals.
