The emotions that unfolded after Punjab Kings pulled off a stunning win over Mumbai Indians in the IPL 2025 Qualifier 2 perfectly captured the essence of a high-octane T20 thriller. While Punjab Kings co-owner Preity Zinta celebrated with uncontainable joy on the field, Mumbai Indians’ owner Nita Ambani was left heartbroken, reflecting the “Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham” vibe of the night.

It took 11 years, but Punjab Kings finally returned to the IPL Final thanks to a breathtaking performance from captain Shreyas Iyer. Chasing a challenging target of 204, Iyer played a captain’s knock, smashing an unbeaten 87 off 41 balls to take his team home in just 19 overs. The win was even more remarkable considering PBKS were outplayed by Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Qualifier 1 just days earlier.

As soon as the winning runs were scored, Preity Zinta ran onto the field, hugged Shreyas Iyer and head coach Ricky Ponting, and couldn’t hide her excitement. In contrast, the Mumbai Indians dugout was quiet and stunned. Hardik Pandya, the MI captain, was visibly emotional, even breaking down after the heartbreaking loss.

In the post-match presentation, Shreyas Iyer revealed his mental approach to big matches. “I love big occasions. The bigger the moment, the calmer I try to be. I focused on my breathing more than the pressure,” he said, giving credit to his teammates for maintaining intent and aggression from the very first ball.

Meanwhile, Hardik Pandya admitted that MI's execution with the ball let them down. “It was a par score, but the execution with the ball wasn’t where it needed to be. Shreyas batted brilliantly and took the game away from us,” he said.

The victory now sets up a blockbuster IPL 2025 Final between Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru guaranteeing that one of these franchises will finally lift their maiden IPL title. The rollercoaster of emotions from both team owners and players only added to the drama of what was already a spectacular night in IPL history.