After 11 long years, Punjab Kings are in the IPL final. A team that’s spent over a decade chasing dreams and falling short has finally arrived on the biggest stage — and they’ve done it in style.
Led by a calm yet fiery Shreyas Iyer, Punjab booked their ticket to the Grand Finale with a dramatic five-wicket win over the Mumbai Indians in Qualifier 2 at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad.
The match started two hours and fifteen minutes late due to rain. Once play began, Punjab won the toss and chose to bowl — a brave call against Mumbai’s big-hitting line-up.
Early on, things looked tricky. Rohit Sharma got a life but couldn’t capitalize. The pitch had bounce and movement, making it hard to bat freely.
Tilak Varma and Jonny Bairstow steadied the ship with a solid stand. Then Suryakumar Yadav joined the party. Together, he and Tilak lifted the scoring rate, giving MI real momentum.
But Punjab bounced back sharply. Both batters were dismissed within three balls, swinging the game. Naman Dhir’s late 37-run cameo helped Mumbai reach 203/6 — a strong total, but not unreachable.
Punjab’s reply was anything but easy. Chasing 204 in a pressure knockout against a bowling attack featuring Bumrah, Boult, and Santner isn’t for the faint-hearted. Wickets fell, nerves kicked in, but one man stood tall — Shreyas Iyer.
He absorbed the pressure and countered it with pure class. His unbeaten 87 off 41 balls wasn’t just a knock — it was a statement.
Iyer timed the chase perfectly, staying calm, backing his shots, and finishing the game like a seasoned finisher. He didn’t just lead with the bat; he led with his attitude.
Post-match, Iyer spoke about staying composed, reminding his team that “the bigger the occasion, the calmer you must be.” He wasn’t thinking about revenge or the auction — just the moment and the team.
This victory means everything for Punjab. It’s their first final since 2014. For a side that hasn’t even made the playoffs in 11 years, this run feels like redemption.
And for Shreyas Iyer, who won the title last year with Kolkata Knight Riders, it’s a personal high — proving he can lift teams with his leadership, not just his runs.
On the other hand, the Mumbai Indians will go back disappointed. With so many match-winners — Bumrah, SKY, Rohit, Hardik, Boult, Santner — they still couldn’t cross the finish line.
They had the firepower, the experience, the pedigree… but something’s missing. Maybe it’s intent. Maybe it’s clarity. Either way, a team like this not winning will sting for fans and management alike.
So here we are. The final is set — Punjab Kings vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru on June 3, 7:30 PM IST. Two teams. Zero titles. Eighteen seasons of heartbreak between them.
RCB had the upper hand in Qualifier 1. Punjab has the momentum now. It’s not just a final — it’s a fight to rewrite history. And if Shreyas Iyer leads the way he did in Qualifier 2, Punjab might just roar the loudest when it’s all over.
Neither RCB nor Punjab Kings have won an IPL trophy ever. So this time it is going to be a new team that is going to become the IPL champions.
