Punjab Kings (PBKS) secured a top-two finish in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 with a comprehensive seven-wicket victory over Mumbai Indians at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Monday, May 26.
After Shreyas Iyer won the toss and chose to field first, Suryakumar Yadav’s 39-ball 57 helped the five-time champions end on a respectable 184/7. Arshdeep Singh was the best bowler for PBKS, finishing with scores of 2/28. The tall and lanky pacer, who is also his team’s leading wicket-taker this season, delivered an excellent 20th over, surrendering only three runs and taking the wickets of Naman Dhir and Suryakumar.
In response, Prabhsimran was out early, but Priyansh Arya (62 off 35) and Josh Inglis (73 off 42) hit blistering half-centuries to make the chase appear easy. In the end, Shreyas blasted Trent Boult for a six over wide long-on to seal the game with nine balls remaining.
Former Indian cricketer Robin Uthappa stated that PBKS is playing like champions, with domestic players shouldering a tough workload and global stars stepping up when needed the most. The cricketer-turned-commentator also lauded Inglis’ stunning batting performance, which included nine fours and three sixes.
“That is exactly what championship-winning teams do.” The Indian players bear a tough burden, while the international players deliver when it counts the most. You can see the team’s momentum — the togetherness, intensity, and pure delight with which they play. Josh Inglis gave the bowlers a genuine masterclass out there,” Uthappa told JioHotstar.
Shreyas Iyer has consistently been an exceptional captain: Robin Uthappa
The former India wicketkeeper-batsman praised Shreyas for his leadership abilities and stated that he believes the Mumbai-born was underappreciated during his time with the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2024, when he also led them to the title.
“Shreyas has always been a great captain.” Despite his contributions to KKR, you could tell he felt underappreciated. He joined a franchise with little history of success and went on to win it. “That speaks volumes about his leadership and belief,” Uthappa explained.
On Thursday, May 29, PBKS will meet either Gujarat Titans or Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Qualifier 1 at Mullanpur’s Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium.
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