Shreyas Iyer once again rose to the occasion, just as he has throughout IPL 2025, as Punjab Kings defeated five-time champions Mumbai Indians to book a spot in the final. His unbeaten 87 off just 41 balls powered Punjab into their second-ever Indian Premier League (IPL) final—and their first in eleven years—with a five-wicket victory over MI. Shreyas Iyer, Chasing a challenging target of 204, Punjab displayed a perfect blend of aggression and composure, successfully reaching the total with an over to spare, largely due to Iyer’s clean hitting and smart leadership at the crease.
Ashwin Praises Inglis, Wadhera, and Rising Star Arya After Punjab’s Historic IPL Playoff Win
Chennai Super Kings star bowler Ravichandran Ashwin credited Josh Inglis, Nehal Wadhera, and young Priyansh Arya for their crucial roles in Punjab’s thrilling IPL playoff victory. Reflecting on the match, Ashwin noted that while Shreyas Iyer received praise for his composed knock, it was Inglis and Wadhera who truly changed the course of the game.
“Shreyas Iyer: A lot of credit goes to Shreyas for his elegant strokes—like that six over extra cover against Ashwini Kumar on a free hit. But the real game-changers were Josh Inglis and Nehal Wadhera. Iyer is popular and gets attention, but Inglis played a 20-run over against Bumrah in the powerplay, which was decisive. Bumrah was brought in to stop the flow of runs and take a wicket, but Inglis countered him brilliantly. He smashed a six off a slower ball to the leg side, then followed up with another over third man. That over completely shifted the momentum,” Ashwin said on Ash ki Baat.
Ashwin also highlighted the promise of Punjab’s young batter Priyansh Arya. “He’s a runaway superstar. Today, he got out in the powerplay but not before scoring 20 off 10 balls. Shreyas Iyer, That brief knock gave Punjab early momentum, despite MI picking up two wickets. It allowed Iyer to settle and build a strong partnership with Wadhera.”
Shreyas Iyer, who has previously led Delhi Capitals to the final in 2020 and lifted the trophy with Kolkata Knight Riders in 2024, has now reached the IPL final with a third team—Punjab Kings. He becomes the first captain in IPL history to make it to the final with three different franchises and could soon become a two-time IPL-winning captain. This also marks Punjab’s first playoff appearance in eleven years.
