In IPL 2025, Shreyas Iyer scores a massive milestone by beating MI and reaching the final

Shreyas Iyer carved a place for himself in IPL history on Sunday, becoming only the fifth captain to achieve 50 victories in the tournament. This milestone was achieved in the high-stakes Qualifier 2 at the Narendra Modi Stadium, as Punjab Kings (PBKS) defeated Mumbai Indians (MI) in a thrilling five-wicket victory. PBKS’ victory assured them of a spot in the IPL final for the second time after their 2014 debut.

Iyer’s leadership record in the IPL stands out as one of consistency and success. He has skippered three different franchises—Delhi Capitals (DC), Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), and now PBKS—across 85 matches, winning 50 of them, including two victories in Super Overs, while losing 34 and having two no results. This gives him a commendable win percentage of over 57. With DC, Iyer claimed 23 wins in 41 games and guided the team to a runners-up finish in 2020. At the helm of KKR, he delivered their third IPL title in 2023, winning 17 of 29 matches. In his debut campaign with PBKS, he has already logged nine wins in 15 outings, helping the team finish at the top of the points table with a 60% win rate.

It is noteworthy that Iyer is the only captain in IPL history to have led three different teams to the championship game and to have finished first in the league with two different teams in consecutive seasons (KKR in 2023 and PBKS in 2024). Alongside IPL greats like Virat Kohli (66), Gautam Gambhir (71), Rohit Sharma (87), and MS Dhoni (136), he now joins the select group of captains with 50 or more victories.

In the match, Mumbai Indians posted a challenging 203/6 after being put into bat. While Rohit Sharma departed early for just 8 runs, Jonny Bairstow gave them a good start with a 24-ball 38. Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav both hammered fast-paced 44s as the middle order dominated, but the score was level at 142. Naman Dhir’s late flourish, in which he hit 37 off 18 balls, helped MI cross 200. PBKS’s bowling attack was a collective effort, with Azmatullah Omarzai picking up 2 for 43 and other wickets shared among Marcus Stoinis, Kyle Jamieson, Vyshak Vijaykumar, and Yuzvendra Chahal.

The chase started on a shaky note for PBKS as openers Prabhsimran Singh (6) and Priyansh Arya (20 off 10) were dismissed cheaply. Josh Inglis steadied the innings with a fast 38 off 21 deliveries, while Nehal Wadhera made a crucial 48 off 29 balls. It was captain Shreyas Iyer who stood tall in the end, anchoring the chase with an unbeaten 87, supported ably by Marcus Stoinis. Together, they steered PBKS to victory in the 19th over, sealing a memorable win and a place in the final.