Shreyas Iyer Fined Despite Heroic Knock as Punjab Kings Storm into IPL 2025 Final
In a dramatic and high-stakes IPL 2025 Qualifier 2, Punjab Kings’ skipper Shreyas Iyer delivered a sensational 87* off just 41 balls to power his team to a five-wicket victory over Mumbai Indians and secure a place in the IPL final. However, the joy of the win came with a setback, as Iyer was handed a hefty fine of ₹24 lakh by the BCCI for maintaining a slow over rate during the game.
The rest of the Punjab Kings playing XI, including the impact player, were also penalised—each fined either ₹6 lakh or 25% of their match fee, whichever was lesser.
Mumbai Indians, led by Hardik Pandya, faced a similar fate. Pandya was fined ₹30 lakh for the same offence, while the remaining MI players were docked ₹12 lakh or 50% of their respective match fees.
Despite the penalties, the match was a memorable one for Punjab Kings and their fans. Chasing a stiff target of 204, Josh Inglis gave the side a flying start with a brisk 38 off 21 balls, including a 20-run over off Jasprit Bumrah. The chase gained momentum when Iyer and Nehal Wadhera (48 off 29) stitched together a crucial 84-run partnership in just 7.5 overs.
Iyer sealed the deal with a flurry of sixes—eight in total—finishing the job with an over to spare and guiding Punjab Kings to their first IPL final appearance since 2014.
Earlier in the evening, Mumbai Indians posted a competitive 203/6 after being put into bat. Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav led the scoring with 44 runs apiece. Contributions also came from Jonny Bairstow (38), Naman Dhir (37 off 18), and a 72-run stand between Tilak and Suryakumar.
Among the bowlers, Azmatullah Omarzai (2/43) stood out for Punjab, while Yuzvendra Chahal, Kyle Jamieson, and Vyshak Vijaykumar picked a wicket each.
With this win, Punjab Kings move on to face Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the grand finale on Tuesday, June 3. Regardless of the outcome, IPL 2025 is guaranteed to crown a new champion this season.
News Source : Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.
