Hyderabad: 

With PBKS's qualification, Shreyas Iyer, who is leading Punjab for the first time, became the first captain to take three franchises into the IPL playoffs. Shreyas won the title for KKR last year and guided DC to playoffs on two occasions, including a final against Mumbai Indians (MI) in the 2020 season.

Punjab Kings (PBKS) have finally qualified for the Indian Premier League (IPL) playoffs after a decade following Shubman Gill-led Gujarat Titans (GT) recorded their second biggest successful chase against Delhi Capitals (DC) by 10 wickets at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. This marked the first instance for Punjab Kings to enter the playoffs since 2014 where they topped the points table with 22 points and eventually played the final which they lost to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).

Interestingly, despite leading KKR to the glory, Shreyas decided to enter the IPL 2025 mega auction reportedly saying he didn't get credit which he deserved. Punjab Kings, who appointed Ricky Ponting as head coach before the auction, were keen to have Iyer as a skipper who had a successful partnership with the Australia coach during their time at Delhi.

With the win, PBKS reached 17 points from 12 games, eventually resulting in a qualification with 2 games in hand. Punjab will aim to finish in the top two of the points table to have an extra chance to reach the finals. Will he lead Punjab Kings to the glory, the time will tell.

Shreyas was bought for Rs 26.75 crore by the Punjab Kings, becoming the second most expensive player in the history of the IPL. Iyer, unlike other expensive buys of this season, lived up to the expectations both as a skipper and batter. In 12 games, he has amassed 435 runs at an impressive average of 48.33 while striking at 174.70 that included 4 fifties. Shreyas (27) is currently the player with second most sixes in the ongoing IPL season after Lucknow Super Giants' batter Nicholas Pooran (34).

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