Not Kohli's RCB! Shikhar Dhawan Reveals Which Team He's Supporting In IPL 2025
Shikhar Dhawan has revealed that he's backing the Mumbai Indians (MI) to win IPL 2025, saying the five-time champions have been 'playing very well' and are a well-balanced team who have momentum on their side. The former India opener picked Hardik Pandya's side over his former club, Punjab Kings (PBKS), and the high-flying Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), who are the only team to have solidified their place in the final so far.
Dhawan was PBKS' captain last year when they finished ninth in the points table, just above MI. This year, under Shreyas Iyer and Ricky Ponting, the Punjab-based franchise has been one of the best, qualifying at the top of the table. But they lost to RCB in the first Qualifier and will play against MI in the second Qualifier after the latter beat Shubman Gill's Gujarat Titans by 20 runs in the Eliminator on Friday.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
23 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Shreyas Iyer hurls expletives, gives Shashank Singh a mouthful after batter's run out almost jeopardises final chances
Shreyas Iyer might have played an unbeaten 87-run knock off 41 balls against Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 Qualifier 2 to help Punjab Kings reach the final, but the skipper wasn't pleased after the fixture came to an end at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The PBKS captain was seen giving Shashank Singh a mouthful following the latter's run-out in the crucial encounter. After Shreyas Iyer hit the winning six off the bowling of Ashwani Kumar, the entire Punjab Kings' camp charged to the middle to hug the skipper and celebrate the feat of reaching the IPL final for the second time in their history. However, when Shashank Singh approached Shreyas Iyer, the latter hurled expletives and gave him a mouthful, clearly expressing his anger with how Shashank was unable to make the non-striker's end in time and was caught short of the crease by a bullet Hardik Pandya throw. Shreyas Iyer even raised his hands and pointed his fingers towards Shashank, expressing his dissatisfaction with how Shashank had not made the crease in time. Shashank Singh did not say anything to Shreyas Iyer as he simply walked ahead. However, his expression clearly showed that he, too, was disappointed with his run-out in the 17th over of the contest. Shashank Singh walked back to the dugout after being run out for just 2 runs on the fourth ball of the 17th over. Off the bowling of Trent Boult, Shashank Singh hit the low full-toss wide of Hardik Pandya at mid-on. The Mumbai Indians skipper then gathered the ball quickly and he brought the stumps down in a jiffy. Going by the naked eye, it seemed Shashank Singh had made his crease comfortably at the non-striker's end. However, the replays showed Shashank jogging and taking it lightly, and in the end, he was caught short of the popping crease. This was a huge moment in the game, as a lack of dive cost the Punjab Kings. This was a case of poor running from Shashank Singh and it is no surprise that Shreyas Iyer wasn't pleased one bit with what transpired in the middle. Speaking of the contest between PBKS and MI, Iyer played a match-winning knock of 87* to help the side chase down 204 with five wickets in hand and six balls to spare. As a result of this win, PBKS qualified for the IPL 2025 final, where they will take on Rajat Patidar-led Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on Tuesday at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Murali Kartik called ‘absolute worst' for shocking 'Priyansh Arya' take on air; fans tell BCCI to impose commentary ban
Former India cricketer Murali Kartik once again found himself in the midst of a controversy after his latest comment on air during the IPL 2025 Qualifier 2 match between Punjab Kings and Mumbai Indians at the Narendra Modi Stadium. The comment left fans enraged as they called for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to take a strict action against Kartik. During the match, as Kartik was summarising Punjab's innings, during the successful chase of 204 in Ahmedabad, he comment 'after the demise of Priyansh Arya,' left fans on social media fuming as it instantly went viral on the internet. While most lashed out at Kartik for his choice of words, few even urged BCCI to remove him from commentary. The Punjab captain unleashed carnage in Ahmedabad with his unbeaten knock of 87, carrying Punjab Kings to a five-wicket win over Mumbai Indians. The victory subsequently helped PBKS set up the IPL 2025 final against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, ensuring the league will have a new champion on June 3. 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 the colossal chase of 2024, Iyer stood out with his imperious knock of just 41 balls, laced with five boundaries and eight maximums, as Punjab wrapped up the contest with an over to spare. He will, however, 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. The June 3 clash between the two teams that finished top of the table will be the fourth face-off this season between the two sides. RCB won two of the previous three, both on back-to-back occasions in Chandigarh. The last one came on Thursday, with Punjab losing by eight wickets in the first Qualifier.
India Gazette
an hour ago
- India Gazette
"I just wait for such games": Nehal Wadhera shines with crucial knock in IPL Qualifier 2
Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], June 2 (ANI): Shreyas Iyer rose to the occasion with a captain's knock that will be etched in Punjab Kings' (PBKS) history, as his unbeaten 87 off just 41 balls guided the franchise to a five-wicket win over Mumbai Indians (MI) in the second qualifier of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 at Ahmedabad on Monday. With this result, PBKS stormed into their second-ever IPL final, their first since 2014, ending an 11-year wait. Chasing a challenging total of 204 against the five-time champions, Iyer remained the fulcrum of the innings, showing poise and power in equal measure but equally important was the contribution from Nehal Wadhera, who played a vital hand in the middle overs with a composed 48 off 29 deliveries, striking four boundaries and two sixes, and more importantly, forming a match-defining 84-run stand with his skipper. Reflecting on his performance, Wadhera revealed his mindset heading into the high-stakes clash, 'I just wait for such games, couldn't be more eager to play such a knock in a crucial game like the semi-final (Qualifier 2). This will be close to my heart.' Having been part of the Mumbai Indians setup in the past, Wadhera admitted that prior knowledge of the opposition helped him tailor his approach, 'I have been with MI for two years and I have played them before, so I know what they could try and I changed a few things in my batting accordingly.' The southpaw was full of praise for Iyer's clarity and calm during the chase. 'He (Shreyas) was pretty clear that I just should see and hit the ball accordingly,' Wadhera noted. 'If it was on my radar, I would just go for it. I needed to convert the balls into boundaries and it turned out to be good,' he noted. His strategic hitting helped Punjab maintain the tempo of the chase. By the time Ashwani Kumar dismissed him, PBKS had already crossed the 150-run mark, with the equation well in their favour. Wadhera also lauded his captain's ability to steer the innings under pressure, 'He (Shreyas) is a chase master and proved it today as well. A lot of learnings from him and I hope we carry forward the momentum and win against RCB as well.' With Iyer finishing things off in style and the middle order contributing around him, PBKS crossed the finish line with an over to spare, setting up a title clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on Tuesday in Ahmedabad. (ANI)
