Iyer's heroic knock guides Punjab past Mumbai to book IPL final with Bengaluru
AHMEDABAD, June 1 (Reuters) - Punjab Kings batter Shreyas Iyer played a captain's knock as the Indian Premier League (IPL) table toppers beat Mumbai Indians by five wickets in the second qualifier on Sunday to set up a tantalising final with Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Punjab had won the toss and opted to field before the rain came down and delayed the start of the game by more than two hours. But they did not lose any overs, with the match eventually finishing at well past 1:30 a.m.
Chasing a target of 204 for victory, Iyer smashed an unbeaten 87 off 41 balls as his team returned to the final for the first time in 11 years.
The result means Tuesday's final will crown a new IPL champion, with Bengaluru also falling short in the summit clash in 2009, 2011 and 2016.
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