The second berth in the 2025 Indian Premier League final will be decided on Sunday, when five-time champions Mumbai Indians take on the Punjab Kings in Qualifier 2 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
For the game, here are our preview and predictions.
The signs are ominous for the Punjab Kings, as the Mumbai Indians look like they’ve hit top gear at the perfect time. Like many of their previous title-winning campaigns, MI started slow, but once Jasprit Bumrah returned from injury to bolster their bowling attack, their fortunes turned.
Up at the top, Rohit Sharma looked at his dangerous best in Qualifier 1, while Jonny Bairstow—who has come in for Ryan Rickelton—started in style as well, scoring an explosive 44 to provide the team another solid platform. Down the order, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Naman Dhir, and Hardik Pandya all have runs under their belt.
MI’s bowling attack, led by Bumrah and Trent Boult, has been clinical. While Deepak Chahar might be injured, Pandya has found a suitable replacement in Ashwani Kumar.
On the other hand, PBKS, after a stellar league stage, fell flat in the first Qualifier. A top-two finish in the league stage has granted them another bite at the cherry, though.
PBKS’ strength has been their batting firepower, with the top order of Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, and Shreyas Iyer doing the heavy lifting. However, the middle order—featuring Nehal Wadhera, Marcus Stoinis, and Shashank Singh—has to do better, as all three have blown hot and cold this season.
With the ball, Arshdeep Singh and the wily old veteran Yuzvendra Chahal have been key, but at a slowish Ahmedabad strip, the team will want Harpreet Brar of all bowlers to replicate his recent performances.
The Narendra Modi Stadium has seen tons of runs this season, so we should be in for another high-scoring affair given the explosive firepower at the disposal of both sides. That said, expect the slower bowlers to change the game.
Given their recent form and overall experience, the Mumbai Indians are our favourites for this match.
Fantasy XI: Rohit Sharma, Jonny Bairstow, Josh Inglis, Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya, Mitchell Santner, Harpreet Brar, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Trent Boult
Venue: Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad
Winners Prediction: Mumbai Indians
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