Shreyas iyer ojos los ojos de Iyreya regresaron

Punjab Kings (PBKS) with Shreyas Iyer at the helm has been a different monster. It’s no coincidence that Punjab has reached the playoffs after 11 years under him. Shreyas with Ricky Ponting as head coach has been a deadly combo. Until that Qualifier 1 defeat to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Punjab was the best team in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025.

But being the best team in the group stage has its advantages. Punjab will get another chance to reach the IPL 2025 Final. On June 1 at the Narendra Modi Stadium, they’ll take on the Mumbai Indians. The Hardik Pandya-led team’s journey has been very different.

Until their Gujarat Titans win in the Eliminator, Mumbai hadn’t beaten any team ranked ahead of them. But now they have. And we know how ruthless Mumbai can be and now they also have momentum behind them. The 5-time champions know how to win; they’ve got the best bowler, Jasprit Bumrah, and the best batter, Suryakumar Yadav, on their team.

Records on the line

The Qualifier 2 fight will be a record-breaking one. Punjab is eyeing its maiden IPL trophy. In the past 17 seasons, only 7 teams have a title to their name. And Shreyas Iyer would be looking to become the first IPL captain to win a trophy with different teams. He lifted the cup with Kolkata Knight Riders last year and would like to repeat that with Punjab. Of course, you need to reach the IPL Final before thinking about it all. And Shreyas would be looking to win on June 1.

This record is something Hardik Pandya eyes as well. In his maiden season with Gujarat Titans in 2022, he won an IPL trophy. And now, he can do it with Mumbai. But a bigger record awaits. MI could overtake Chennai Super Kings as the most successful team in the IPL with a record-breaking 6th trophy.

Having Bumrah = Advantage MI?

Both teams match quite well. Both are batting-heavy teams. They look to blow the opposition away with their aggressive batting style. But Mumbai has an advantage. And that’s Bumrah. He isn’t even among the top five wicket-takers in IPL 2025 but Hardik himself said, Whenever in trouble, call Jassi.

“It’s very simple. Whenever you think the game is going away, just bring him (Bumrah). When you have that, it’s a luxury. It’s like Mumbai housing prices – he’s that expensive,” Hardik said after beating Gujarat.