Updated 1 June 2025 at 13:10 IST
IPL 2025: Hardik Pandya's Mumbai Indians are all set to lock horns with Shreyas Iyer's Punjab Kings in the second qualifier of the ongoing eighteenth edition of the Indian Premier League. The Mumbai Indians defeated Shubman Gill's Gujarat Titans in the Eliminator and knocked them out of IPL 2025. Shreyas Iyer's Punjab Kings, on the other hand, made a complete mockery of their golden chance of qualifying for the IPL finals as they lost to the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).
The Punjab Kings vs Mumbai Indians game is expected to be a nail-biting contest. Mumbai are currently touted as the favorites to go on and win Qualifier 2. The Punjab Kings, on the other hand, are to blame themselves as they bottled their game, Qualifier 1 against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Interestingly, Punjab Kings finished the group stage at number 2, and Mumbai Indians finished at number 4.
Mumbai Indians will hope for only one thing: that it does not rain in Ahmedabad. If it ends up raining in Ahmedabad and the match gets washed out, then Punjab will go through to the finals and play the Royal Challengers Bengaluru. The weather forecast during the match hours does not show any chances of rain, but if the Rain Gods decide to show up, then Mumbai will be in great trouble.
More than Punjab Kings' defeat, it was the manner of their defeat that has raised eyebrows. In the PBKS vs RCB clash, it seemed as if Shreyas Iyer's Punjab Kings never turned up for the game. The Royal Challengers Bengaluru had a near-perfect game, and it has now forced the Punjab Kings to play Qualifier 2. The PBKS vs MI Qualifier 2 will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, the same venue where the final will be played.
Published 1 June 2025 at 13:09 IST