Follow UsPunjab Kings (PBKS) defeated Mumbai Indians (MI) by 5 wickets in Qualifier 2 of the Indian Premier League 2025. Chasing 204 in 20 overs, PBKS were solid throughout and an 84-run partnership between skipper Shreyas Iyer (87* off 41) and Nehal Wadhera (48 off 29) ensured that PBKS made it to their second IPL final, where they’ll face Royal Challengers Bengaluru now.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, MI head coach felt that while it was a good season for MI, where they made a comeback in the season after losing four of their first five games, they couldn’t bring themselves to execute their best on the day and hence lost the game.
"It was a good season for us, but it wasn't to be this year,” Mahela Jayawardene said.
“There could have been a lot of ifs and buts, but I think we didn't play a perfect game and we paid for it," Jayawardene said.
“It was a good campaign for us, the way we started and how we regrouped as a team and played some really, really good cricket. We had our opportunities getting to the playoffs, and we had a really good game first up. Even today I thought we played some good cricket, except for [Punjab] Kings playing better cricket than us, especially with the bat."
The Sri Lankan underlined the two dropped catches of Wadhera in the 9th and 10th over of the game and denied claims that their side are too dependent on Jasprit Bumrah to defend the chase. Notably, Bumrah uncharacteristically gave away 40 runs in four overs without picking any wickets after being sensational in the season.
“They were solid, especially chasing 200. It's not that easy. They've executed that pretty well. We made a few blunders obviously, with those two catchers, but that's how the game goes,” Jayawardene noted.
“We had that luck going our way in the previous game. So I think it was a good game of cricket, and we came short. It's as simple as that."
"I thought the others, like especially Ashwini, bowled really well today," he added after Bumrah’s question was brought up.
“Mitch (Santner) bowled well, and then Hardik as well. So it wasn't just about Bumrah. He was trying to get those wickets especially in the PowerPlay. Josh (Inglis) batted well. Overs 3-4, executed well, and it was a battle between that. Either you might get a wicket or them taking that advantage, and they took the advantage.
"In phases, they batted well. We also came back and took the wickets and were in it. It's just that middle phase, we just couldn't control that after the 10th over, those 4-5 overs, we just couldn't keep the pressure going, and that's where especially Nehal and Shreyas, their partnership probably took the game away from us,” the MI head coach added.
Jayawardene especially praised Iyer and the way the PBKS skipper handled the entire chase, batting at a tempo which was required in the game, and then blasting off against Reece Topley in the middle overs to get the chase going.
“Shreyas took his time," he said. "We knew they were a bit under pressure, so he was taking his time. We knew that was a danger. As long as we didn't give him that partnership with Nehal, we would have been able to squeeze through because he would have had to go early, not wait that long. So he got Nehal to do the bulk of the work at that point. That shows the experience and he knew he had to take the game deep and he did.
"Shreyas took control of that over (from Reece Topley). That was a big over for us because that shifted the momentum and we had to make those overs as well because we knew what our game plan was at the back end. So it's just one of those days and they took the upper hand at that situation."