'That wink': Preity Zinta's energy and what it took for Punjab Kings to reach IPL final after 11 years

Punjab Kings co-owner Preity Zinta was elated as her team defeated Mumbai Indians in Qualifier 2 to reach the IPL 2025 final.

The match was held at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Punjab Kings chased a big target of 204 runs. Captain Shreyas Iyer played an amazing innings, scoring 87 runs off just 41 balls. He hit eight sixes and stayed not out, helping his team win by five wickets.

As soon as Iyer hit the winning runs--in the stands--Preity Zinta jumped with excitement, raising her hands in the air.

She then went down to the field, hugged Shreyas Iyer and coach Ricky Ponting, and talked to them for a bit.

During the presentation ceremony, Preity also winked playfully at one of the Punjab Kings players, showing her fun side.

This win sends Punjab Kings to their first IPL final in 11 years, where they will face Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

This will be Punjab's first title clash since 2014, and second successive for Iyer as captain after marshalling Kolkata Knight Riders' triumph in 2024.

In an attritional chase of 204, Iyer stood tall with an imperious knock (87 not out, 41b, 5x4, 8x6) as PBKS moved past the target with an over to spare.

Once Mumbai posted a 200-plus total, Punjab required someone to play with composure and a sense of purpose, and they found the best man in their ranks putting his hand up.

However, Iyer and PBKS will also profusely thank the plucky Nehal Wadhera for exploiting his two reprieves to peel off an important 48 off 29 balls and adding 84 runs for the fourth wicket with his captain.

Naman Dhir misjudged a catch off Mitchell Santner at deep midwicket and allowed a four in the ninth over while Boult spilled a catch at fine-leg off Pandya in the 10th over when Wadhera was on 13.

But the star cast was Iyer as he nonchalantly guided the PBKS' hunt.

Josh Inglis (38 off 21 balls, 5x4s, 2x6s) also played his part early after the early loss of Prahsimran Singh (6) to Boult (1/38) and Priyansh Arya (20).

Inglis went after Jasprit Bumrah in the sixth over to smack two sixes and as many fours and collect 20 runs.

Bumrah's final figures 4-0-40-0 was also a just reflection of MI's struggles with the ball on the night.

However, the tables turned in the 13th over bowled by pacer Reece Topley, with the Englishman putting three deliveries in Iyer's hitting arc and the batter dispatched each of them into the stands, signalling Punjab gaining steam.

Soon, Iyer finished off the chase with four sixes in the 19th over off left-arm pacer Ashwini Kumar.

with PTI inputs