A moment of pure emotion from team co-owner Preity Zinta became one of the most talked-about picture of the night as Punjab Kings qualified for IPL 2025 finals after beating Mumbai Indians by 5 wickets. Zinta was seen jumping in delight in the dugout the moment Iyer launched the winning six over the ropes off Ashwani Kumar.
But what truly caught the cameras and the hearts of fans was a cheeky wink she threw toward one of her players during the post-match celebrations.
For Preity, this was more than just a win it was redemption, a reward for her loyalty to the franchise during tough times. As the celebrations spilled onto the field, Zinta made her way to hug the hero of the night, skipper Shreyas Iyer.
The right-hander had anchored Punjab’s massive 204-run chase with a magnificent unbeaten 87 off just 41 balls, smashing 5 fours and 8 towering sixes. While the dugout erupted in jubilation, Iyer maintained a stern look, his focus still seemingly locked on the job at hand. It wasn’t until Preity approached him that the skipper cracked a rare smile
Punjab Kings rewrite record books
Punjab Kings’ thrilling chase of 204 against Mumbai Indians in Qualifier 2 rewrote the record books. Their successful pursuit marked the highest-ever chase in IPL Playoffs or knockout history, and for the first time, a team breached the 200-run mark against Mumbai Indians and still walked away victorious.
It was also the eighth time PBKS chased down a 200+ total, the most by any team in IPL history. Remarkably, this season alone has now witnessed nine successful 200-plus chases the highest in any single IPL edition.
The defeat also extended Mumbai Indians' dismal run in Ahmedabad, with this being their sixth consecutive loss at the venue. Their only win at the Narendra Modi Stadium came back in 2014 against Rajasthan Royals.
Meanwhile, Shreyas Iyer added another feather to his captaincy cap by leading Punjab Kings to the final, he became the first player in IPL history to captain three different franchises to the summit clash: Delhi Capitals in 2020, Kolkata Knight Riders in 2024, and now PBKS in 2025.
