IPL 2025 Final: Who has a better chance to face RCB in the final — Mumbai Indians or Punjab Kings? Punjab Kings beat Mumbai Indians when they last met.
Punjab Kings (PBKS), unlike the entire group stage of the IPL 2025, were not dominant with the bat during the first qualifier against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). They kept losing regular wickets and never looked settled in the middle. Under Shreyas Iyer’s captaincy, the batters have displayed freedom despite losing wickets, but it didn’t work in Mullanpur that evening.
Meanwhile, Mumbai Indians (MI) were ruthless with the bat in the eliminator against the Gujarat Titans (GT) at the same venue. On a better batting surface, they showed brutal power from the start and were helped by several dropped catches. Even in the bowling, the five-time champions held their nerve to get over the line.
These teams will now meet on June 01 at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, for the second qualifier. None of them can slip from the position. For Punjab, it’s a chance to come back. On the other hand, Mumbai aim to extend its revival in the competition.
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All-round contribution keeps PBKS at the top
Shreyas Iyer’s message of ‘lost the battle but not the war’ keeps hope among the long-waiting fans of the side. In the last fixture, they crumbled under pressure, undone by the swing and seam movement early in the innings.
When they picked up several uncapped Indian batters, many experts were concerned about the batting department. However, they used it as their strength. Nearly everyone has contributed for the 2014 runners-up this season’s campaign. Both Prabhsimran Singh (517) and Shreyas (516) have crossed the 500-run mark in this tournament at a strike rate of over 165.
Priyansh Arya, the 23-year-old, played a few fantastic knocks. The Southpaw currently has smashed 431 runs in 15 innings at a strike rate of 182.62. Nehal Wadhera has overtaken the 300-run mark, while Shashank Singh raised his hand in crucial situations.
It’s the same story in the bowling department. Arshdeep Singh is the leader of the pack with 18 scalps at an economy rate of 8.62. Marco Jansen and Harpreet Brar also picked up rewards in various games.
Interestingly, their strength is their weakness. On many occasions, their batting has not clicked. They have failed to bail themselves out of trouble when the top order doesn’t see off the new ball in the powerplay. That makes it incredibly essential for the two openers to stay longer at the crease.
Read More: IPL 2025: MI’s middle overs batting prowess separates them from the rest
Mumbai Indians’ revival eyes sixth IPL final
The Hardik Pandya-led side didn’t make a good start in the event, with one win in the first five fixtures. However, they turned the tables with seven victories in the next eight clashes. Jasprit Bumrah’s return and Rohit Sharma’s getting back to form brought new energy to the unit.
Rohit, during the middle of the season, began to play aggressive knocks for an extended period. He has smashed 410 runs this year at a strike rate of 150.18. But the biggest positive is Suryakumar Yadav’s consistency. India’s T20I captain is the second-leading run-getter of the season, with 673 runs at a strike rate of 167.83.
Just like Punjab, all-around contributions have benefited Mumbai in all phases. Trent Boult is the leading wicket-taker for the franchise, with 21 scalps at an economy of just below nine.
Pandya’s words ‘Whenever you think the game is going away, just bring Bumrah’ are perfect to describe the pacer’s impact. In 11 innings, the Gujarat bowler has collected 18 wickets at an economy of 6.36. When they were sliding behind the game against the Titans in the eliminator, his thunderbolt yorker to dismiss Washington Sundar was the turning point.
However, Mumbai will feel pressure in the second qualifier. They are yet to earn victories against the top franchises in the points table. This is where the IPL 2020 champions’ mindset and planning will be crucial to earn the tickets for the final.
Read More: IPL 2025, Eliminator, GT vs MI: Mumbai hold their own in high pressure tie, GT eliminated
MI or PBKS – Who will meet RCB in the IPL 2025 final?
Balancing all the circumstances and how things have unfolded so far during the IPL 2025, Punjab Kings will be ahead to win the second qualifier. Iyer’s army has faltered less frequently in the group stage. Beating teams stronger than them will keep their morale higher.
PBKS won three of the four games against the teams that have qualified for the playoffs. Meanwhile, apart from the victory in the eliminator, the Pandya-led side dropped all four group-stage games against these three opponents.
However, it’s hard to rule out Mumbai in a knockout fixture. They have lost only twice in the playoffs since 2015. Most of the players in the squad have experienced this pressure and know how to handle these games.
On Sunday, it will be a battle between two strong sides. A Mumbai-born player will look to beat his hometown franchise, which aims for its sixth final, to shoulder Punjab to the final after more than a decade.
Read More: IPL 2025: Iyer-Ponting reunion as captain-coach duo worked well for PBKS
