PBKS Seals Top-Two IPL Spot After 11 Years with Dominant Win Over MI

PBKS Seals Top-Two IPL Spot After 11 Years with Dominant Win Over MI

The Shreyas Iyer-led Punjab Kings (PBKS) have made a big statement in the IPL! For the first time in 11 years, they’ve secured a top-two spot in the points table. This happened after they beat Mumbai Indians (MI) by seven wickets on Monday in Jaipur.

PBKS was chasing 185 runs and got there comfortably thanks to amazing half-centuries from Priyansh Arya and Josh Inglis. Their strong performance means PBKS will now play in Qualifier 1, getting two chances to reach the final. MI, on the other hand, will play in Eliminator 1.

Cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar was full of praise for PBKS, saying that nobody took them seriously before the season. He highlighted their smart choices in the auction, picking up talented young Indian players. He noted that even though state leagues can be tricky to judge, if someone like Priyansh Arya hits seven sixes, you know they have talent. He also praised their international player selections, giving them “full marks.” Gavaskar even predicted a “new name will be written on the trophy.”

Josh Inglis (73 runs off 42 balls) and Priyansh Arya (62 runs off 35 balls) were the stars of the chase. They put on a match-winning partnership of 109 runs off just 59 balls, making up for a slow start in the powerplay. Captain Shreyas Iyer (26 not out off 16) finished the game with a six.

Earlier, PBKS bowlers did well to limit MI to 184 for seven on a pitch that has often seen scores over 200 this season.

Both teams had already made it to the playoffs, but this win guaranteed PBKS a top-two finish. PBKS, who are in the playoffs for the first time since 2014, will play Qualifier 1 at their home ground in Mullanpur on May 29. The Eliminator will be played at the same venue the next day. The full playoff schedule will be set after the match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Lucknow Super Giants on Tuesday