Delhi: In the 69th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, Punjab Kings (PBKS) defeated Mumbai Indians (MI) by 7 wickets to register a stunning victory. With the victory in this last league match played at Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur, Punjab has confirmed its place in the top-2. The team has now scored 19 points in 14 matches and is in the first place in the points table. Due to this situation, Punjab Kings will get two opportunities to reach the finals, they will also get the opportunity to play the qualifier 1 and if needed.

Team’s hard work paid off

Head coach Ricky Ponting expressed happiness over the team’s entry in the top-2 and said that this is the result of the hard work of the entire team. He told that the plan of the team started many months ago, what kind of cricket to play, which players want in the team. Now that this planning has brought color and the team has reached the top-2, everyone is proud.

Youth performed brilliantly

Ponting specially praised the young players of the team. He told that Prabhasimran has scored around 500 runs this season, while Priyansh Arya was discovered by the tournament, even though he has just played 4-5 matches. Experienced players have also been very important behind the good performance of the youth.

Praise of Shreyas Iyer’s captaincy

Regarding Shreyas Iyer, Ponting said, “We bought him by paying a hefty amount in auction because we were sure that he would be perfect for this team. I have also given him coaching in Delhi Capitals (DC). Even though there is not a trophy, but the talent of his captaincy is amazing.” He further said that Iyer has brought the team very well and won the trust of the players, which is a big thing for any captain.

Talk of team unity and celebration

Ponting said that this victory is not only for 25 players, but the entire support team, which includes support staff, social media team and traveling crew. He also told that the team will now celebrate a little celebration and then will get involved in the preparations for the playoffs.

Playoff challenges

Regarding further preparations, he said, “We do not know how many practice we will get before the playoffs and how will there be wickets, because there will be 4 teams in the same city.”

Concern over Jenson’s absence

Regarding Marco Jenson, he said that he has been an important player for the team and his missing will cost the team in the playoffs. However, the team has an option of Kyle Jeemison and so he considered it necessary to feed them a match before the playoffs.