Punjab Kings Advance to IPL 2025 Final Despite Fines for Slow Over Rate

In a thrilling IPL 2025 Qualifier 2 match, Punjab Kings, led by Shreyas Iyer's impressive 87 runs, defeated Mumbai Indians by five wickets. Despite facing fines for a slow over rate, the team secured their place in the finals for the first time since 2014. They will now compete against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on June 3 in Ahmedabad. The match featured significant contributions from both teams, with Mumbai setting a challenging target of 204 runs. Read on to discover the key moments and performances from this exciting encounter.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jun 2, 2025, 13:08 IST

Punjab Kings' Fines and Victory

Shreyas Iyer, the captain of Punjab Kings, faced a penalty of Rs 24 lakh due to a slow over rate during the IPL 2025 Qualifier 2 match against Mumbai Indians on Sunday. The other members of the Punjab Kings playing XI, including the impact player, were fined Rs 6 lakh each or 25% of their match fee, whichever amount was lower. Meanwhile, Mumbai Indians' skipper Hardik Pandya was fined Rs 30 lakh for the same infraction, with his teammates receiving fines of Rs 12 lakh or 50% of their match fees.

Despite these fines, Punjab Kings triumphed over Mumbai Indians by five wickets, securing a spot in the IPL 2025 final. Shreyas Iyer delivered an outstanding performance, scoring 87 runs off just 41 balls, featuring five fours and eight sixes, and remained unbeaten. This victory marks Punjab Kings' return to the finals for the first time since 2014, where they will face Royal Challengers Bengaluru on June 3 in Ahmedabad.

Match Highlights

In their chase of a daunting target of 204, Josh Inglis set the pace with a quick 38 runs off 21 balls, including a remarkable 20 runs in one over bowled by Jasprit Bumrah. Nehal Wadhera also made a significant contribution with 48 runs from 29 balls. Together, he and Shreyas added 84 runs in just 7.5 overs, bringing the team closer to their target. Shreyas ultimately finished the match with an over to spare.

Mumbai Indians had set a challenging score of 203 for 6 after being invited to bat first. Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav both scored 44 runs, while Jonny Bairstow added 38 runs from 24 deliveries after Rohit Sharma was dismissed for just 8 runs. The partnership between Tilak and Suryakumar was crucial, contributing 72 runs for the third wicket. Naman Dhir's quick-fire 37 runs off 18 balls helped push the total past 200.

For the Punjab Kings' bowling attack, Azmatullah Omarzai was the standout performer, taking 2 wickets for 43 runs. Yuzvendra Chahal, Kyle Jamieson, and Vyshak Vijaykumar each claimed one wicket.