Punjab Kings will face Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL final. After a 10-year-long wait, Punjab has finally secured a spot in the final.
On Sunday (June 1), riding on a brilliant innings from captain Shreyas Iyer in the second qualifier, Punjab defeated Mumbai Indians by 5 wickets with 1 over to spare, earning their place in the title clash.
Last time, captain Shreyas Iyer led Kolkata Knight Riders to the championship. This time, he has taken Punjab to the final. With Punjab making it to the final, one thing is certain: this season’s IPL will have a new champion.
That’s because neither of the two finalists — Bangalore and Punjab — has ever won the IPL title. Since these two teams are facing each other in the final, one of them is guaranteed to become champion, and for the first time, that team will taste IPL glory.
Although both teams have previously played in finals — Bangalore three times and Punjab once — they had different opponents on those occasions, and lost to those eventual champions.
Bangalore’s misfortune is that they have never won the title despite reaching the final three times. Their last final appearance was in 2016, where they lost to Mustafizur Rahman’s Sunrisers Hyderabad by 8 runs. After a 9-year gap, they are in the final again. Will they be able to win their maiden title on this fourth attempt?
Punjab Kings began their IPL journey under the name Kings XI Punjab. Their success in the IPL has been minimal. They reached the final only once — in 2014 — but failed to win the title. That year, they lost to Shakib Al Hasan’s Kolkata Knight Riders.
Now, under their new name (Punjab Kings), they have reached the final for the first time. Can they become champions this time?
The final will be held tomorrow, Tuesday (June 3), in Ahmedabad.
