Shreyas Iyer’s unbeaten 87 off just 41 balls propelled Punjab Kings into their second IPL final during the IPL 2025 Qualifier 2 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Punjab Kings won the contest by 5 wickets and will next face Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the final.
However the win was overshadowed by a heated exchange between Iyer and teammate Shashank Singh during handshaked between both the teams.
As the Punjab camp flooded the field to celebrate their passage into the final, Iyer was seen furiously confronting Shashank Singh the latter having been run out during a crucial moment in the 17th over. Iyer didn’t hold back. With pointed fingers and visible frustration, the PBKS captain reprimanded Shashank
The reason behind the trigger was a lapse in judgement and effort from Shashank, who was caught short of the non-striker’s end after casually jogging instead of diving, despite a pinpoint throw from Hardik Pandya. The run-out came just when Punjab needed to maintain momentum in a high-pressure chase.
Shashank, who managed only 2 runs before his dismissal, didn’t respond to the skipper’s outburst. He quietly walked away, though his disappointment was written all over his face a mix of guilt and regret over an avoidable mistake at a crunch moment.
Iyer leads Punjab Kings To IPL final
Punjab Kings, having chased down 204 with five wickets and an over to spare, will now face Rajat Patidar’s Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL 2025 final on Tuesday, back at the same venue. Shreyas Iyer led from the front with a blazing 87 off 41 balls.
Mumbai Indians posted a competitive 203/6 in their 20 overs. Suryakumar Yadav played a fluent knock of 44 off 26 deliveries, striking 4 boundaries and 3 sixes, while Tilak Varma added stability with an identical 44 off 29 balls. Azmatullah Omarzai stood out, picking 2 wickets for 43 runs in his 4-over spell.
