PBKS defeat Mumbai Indians to confirm Qualifier 1 berth; Inglis, Arya shine with the bat Cricketers often let their bat do the talking, but on March 17, Shashank Singh made headlines with his 2 month old prediction. Appearing on a podcast hosted by Shubhankar Mishra, the Punjab Kings batter boldly predicted that his team would finish in the top two in the 2025 Indian Premier League. On Monday, that prediction materialized in stunning fashion.
Punjab Kings secured a vital seven-wicket win over five-time champions Mumbai Indians at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur, sealing their spot in the top two of the IPL table and booking a ticket to Qualifier 1 on May 29.
Inglis-Arya Partnership Powers PBKS Chase
Chasing a competitive 185, Punjab Kings displayed composure and flair. The chase was anchored by a brilliant 109-run second-wicket partnership between Australian wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis and young left-hander Priyansh Arya. The duo took the attack to the Mumbai bowlers with calculated aggression.
Arya’s composed 62 off 44 balls came to an end in the 15th over, but by then Punjab were well in control. Inglis, who notched up his maiden IPL fifty, played a classy 42-ball innings laced with nine boundaries and three sixes. He departed with just 14 runs needed to win, but skipper Shreyas Iyer finished the job with an unbeaten 26 off 16 balls, guiding PBKS home with nine balls to spare.
Mumbai’s Middle-Order Wobble Proves Costly
Earlier in the evening, Mumbai Indians posted 184/7 after being sent in to bat. Suryakumar Yadav once again carried the scoring burden, hitting a fluent 57 off 39 balls. The innings had started brightly with a 44-run stand between Ryan Rickelton (27) and Rohit Sharma (24), but regular wickets pegged Mumbai back.
Will Jacks (17) and captain Hardik Pandya (26 off 15) provided brief flourishes, but couldn’t carry on. A late cameo from Naman Dhir (20 off 12) pushed Mumbai past 180, but it was Arshdeep Singh’s final over that truly hurt them. The left-arm quick removed both Dhir and Suryakumar in a brilliant over, conceding just three runs and wrapping up the innings on a strong note for Punjab.
With this win, PBKS not only fulfilled Singh’s prophecy but also earned the advantage of two shots at reaching the IPL final, set for June 3. They will play in Qualifier 1 on May 29. Mumbai, meanwhile, finish fourth among the playoff-bound teams and will play in the eliminator on May 30. Gujarat Titans’ final position will be determined after the last league match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Lucknow Super Giants.
Regardless of the outcome ahead, Monday’s match was a testament to Punjab Kings’ grit and the power of belief, as Shashank Singh would proudly remind everyone.
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