(Image source from: Twitter.com/PunjabKingsIPL)

Shreyas Iyer, the captain of Punjab Kings, received a fine of Rs 24 lakh after his team failed to maintain the required over rate during the IPL 2025 Qualifier 2 match against the Mumbai Indians on Sunday. Despite this setback, Punjab Kings celebrated a remarkable five-wicket victory over the Mumbai Indians, securing their spot in the IPL 2025 final. As a consequence of violating the IPL Code of Conduct, Iyer was penalized, while the other members of the playing XI, including the impact player, faced fines of Rs 6 lakh or 25 percent of their match fees, whichever amount was lower. Similarly, Hardik Pandya, the captain of the Mumbai Indians, was assessed a fine of Rs 30 lakh for the same infraction, and his teammates were fined Rs 12 lakh or 50 percent of their match fees.

An impressive performance from Shreyas Iyer, who scored an unbeaten 87 runs off 41 balls, was instrumental in Punjab Kings eliminating the five-time champions Mumbai Indians by five wickets in Qualifier 2. This victory indicates that the Indian Premier League, now in its 18th season, will welcome a new champion. The Punjab Kings, who last reached the finals in 2014, are set to play against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, who have made it to the finals four times, on Tuesday, June 3.

In pursuit of a target set at 204 runs, Josh Inglis contributed 38 runs off 21 balls, including a notable 20 runs off Jasprit Bumrah's over, setting the pace for the chase. Skipper Iyer, along with Nehal Wadhera, who scored 48 runs off 29 balls, formed a critical partnership that added 84 runs in just 7.5 overs, bringing Punjab Kings closer to their goal. Iyer finished the match with one over remaining, launching eight sixes throughout his innings. Earlier, Mumbai Indians managed to post a total of 203 for 6 after being sent in to bat, thanks to contributions of 44 runs each from Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav.

After the dismissal of Rohit Sharma for 8, opener Jonny Bairstow (38 off 24 balls) provided a solid start, forming a partnership of 51 runs with Tilak, who later combined for a crucial 72-run stand for the third wicket with Suryakumar. Naman Dhir also played a key role, finishing with 37 runs off 18 balls. For Punjab, Yuzvendra Chahal (1 for 39 in 4 overs), Vyshak Vijaykumar (1 for 30 in 3 overs), and Kyle Jamieson (1 for 30 in 4 overs) each took a wicket, while Azmatullah Omarzai had the best bowling figures of 2 for 43.