Punjab Kings vs Mumbai Indians, 69th Match - Live Cricket Score, Commentary

Punjab fans, close your eyes for long enough and it’ll start to feel like 2014 again. Their team has made it to the qualifiers, and they are now one win away from the promised land. One win that’ll make the sorrows of the last 10 years dissipate like they never existed. They pick up an empathic win today, with a largely unheralded left-handed opener and an Aussie in the middle-order who’s capable of turning a game on its head. All this while having a talismanic skipper who many would say has been perennially underrated. Do you get deja vu? That’s all for now, we’ll be back tomorrow to see how RCB fare against Lucknow. Join us then!

Josh Inglis | Player of the Match: (On batting with Priyansh Arya) The left-right partnership really helped with the short boundary, and it was about playing smart cricket. Didn't want to let things slip in the middle overs. Would have been nice if one of us stayed till the end. (On Santner) I have faced a lot of Mitch, he is a very smart bowler. We both knew what we were trying to do to each other. It was a bit of cat and mouse with that shorter boundary. (On Priyansh Arya) I don't have to say much to him, it was nice batting with him. He was picking his match-ups and balls. (On Shreyas letting him bat at 3) I don't think he's too happy but I certainly am. As he said, I was moving around and I struggled for a bit of rhythm. Feels nicer to be batting here, got a bit of momentum going. (On if he does everything quickly) I don't run too quick, that's the beauty of being someone of my size, I haven't got the power of the other guys so I have to run hard and use my smarts.

Shreyas Iyer: I personally feel everyone stepped up at the right time. We have been in that mindset that we have to win no matter what situation. Kudos to everyone and the management. Ricky has been fantastic, and for me it was about gaining the trust of every individual. And that happened by winning matches, and I personally feel we need to maintain that relationship throughout. When you are down in the dumps, it is easy to backstab each other. (On Priyansh Arya) The way he started was fabulous. It was pleasing to the eye and every individual has been fearless. They tick the boxes in the net sessions and the reflection of it is seen on the ground. (On Josh Inglis) He loves playing the new ball, and I wanted him to play more deliveries. And I know he can be disruptive, he is a big match player. Hope he continues the same way. We have a camaraderie from the last few years, he (Ponting) lets me be decisive on the field, all these things have culminated in a great way. Ecstatic that everything is working.

Stats by Shashikant Singh

Only for the second time, PBKS finished in the top two for Qualifier 1. Another being in the 2014 IPL.

MI has won just one game in the last six matches in Jaipur since 2013 which came earlier this season against RR.

MI going into knockouts with 0 wins from 4 games against the three other teams in the top four this season. And they have never won the IPL trophy after finishing 3rd or 4th in the points table (won 5 out of 6 after finishing in the top two position).

Ricky Ponting - I'm pleased for the group, lot of hard work goes to achieve something as a team. Leading up to months before the auction, trying to figure out the way you want to play (on his role as the head coach), the players you need and now to see the vision of finishing in the top-2 come true, we'll now look forward to the playoffs. Plenty of youngsters in the team, Prabhsimran is probably only 23 or 24 and he has almost 500 runs this season. Priyansh Arya, 4 or 5 games into the tournament, I thought he was going to be the find of the season. They've been backed up by the experienced players around and the results are here to see. (On Shreyas Iyer) It was pretty obvious with the amount of money we spent on him (during the auctions), we wanted him here, I've worked with him in the Delhi Capitals, didn't get the trophy there, but he's a man who has been so good and has a sparkle for captaincy, he has led this team superbly, he has led the team from the front, has gained the trust of the players and that's a big thing. We'll have a couple of drinks and celebrate as a group, it's not just the 25 players, but the 100 or so including the support staff and the social media group who've travelled with us all along. Not sure how much practice we'll get going into the playoffs or the kind of wickets we get considering there'll be 4 teams at the same city. Marco (Jansen) has been a great recruit, we'll be missing him, but so will many teams in terms of losing some key players. We've got Kyle Jamieson who is the obvious back-up and we wanted him to get a match before the playoff. Jansen has been a vital cog in this team and we'll certainly miss him going ahead in the tournament.

Hardik Pandya | MI captain: The way the wicket played, we were definitely 20 runs short. That happens, we've been playing really good cricket, this was one of the days where we really couldn't play our best cricket and that costed us. IPL is like that, this franchisee has won five trophies, it has always been tough. Anytime if you take the leg off the accelerator, the other teams are also very keen to win the games. The message would be simple, this was just a blip, learn from this and look forward for the knockouts. It's too fresh, we'll identify later but as an overall batting unit, we were definitely 20 runs short. We could have capitalised either in the start or in the middle, we'll figure it out post the game. (Karn a batter choice as the Impact Player in hindsight?) Not really, I back Ashwani, we back Ashwani, that has been the plan throughout the season. We have played with the leggie and the quick. Today we felt on this wicket that it'll work, that's fine. (Did batting get better in the second half?) It would be same, I don't think much difference. They really played good cricket, those two batters, the second wicket stand was outstanding. They really took on certain balls whenever we erred and I don't think as a bowling unit we were clinical, we gave some balls which they really capitalised and on certain times, they played some good shots as well. Overall, we were not up to the mark and that costed us. (On the Eliminator) Overall, play good cricket, bat well, bowl well, work on the plans, see what is the template which will work as a batting group. Bowlers have been doing really well throughout the season. Batting, we'll figure out what is the right template on right tracks and if we bat first, what is the pace we want to bat. Couple of things which we need to identify, but I don't think much panic. We knew what was at stake. Looking forward for the Eliminator.

23:19 Local Time, 17:49 GMT, 23:19 IST: Punjab Kings beat Mumbai Indians by 7 wickets and enter Qualifier 1. They will get two bites at the cherry. Shreyas Iyer who was the leader of Kolkata Knight Riders last season, has taken the Punjab Kings into the first qualifier this time around. Has been superb as a captain this season. Earlier in the day, it was a pretty good effort by Mumbai Indians who posted a competitive total on the back of Suryakumar's fifty, however, they fell short by 15-20 runs in the end. In reply, Punjab Kings lost Prabhsimran within the powerplay, but young Priyansh Arya and Josh Inglis had a match-defining partnership for the second wicket. Both looked in sublime touch and in the process also notched up their respective fifties. Shreyas Iyer walked to bat towards the closing stages and finished things off with a magnificent six over wide long-on. Overall, it was a clinical win for the Punjab Kings. They truly deserve to be at the top. Meanwhile, Mumbai Indians will play the Eliminator. Who will they face in the knockout clash though? Will it be Gujarat Titans or will it be the Royal Challengers Bangalore? That shall be decided tomorrow. Stay around for the presentations..

Boult to Shreyas Iyer, SIX, Shreyas Iyer hits the winning runs! They are into the first Qualifier. Back of a length delivery around middle and leg, Shreyas Iyer smokes it over wide long-on and finishes things off in style. An emphatic win for the Kings who overtake GT and move to the number 1 spot in the points table

Boult to Shreyas Iyer, no run, back of a length delivery outside off, Shreyas Iyer looks to carve it away, gets beaten on the outside edge

Boult to Nehal Wadhera, 1 run, yorker length delivery on off, Nehal Wadhera squeezes it towards mid-off. The non-striker was keen for a single but he was sent back. A direct-hit at the bowler's end results in an overthrow

Trent Boult [3.0-0-29-0] is back into the attack

Santner to Shreyas Iyer, SIX, launched over the cushions! Shreyas Iyer advances down the wicket and bludgeons this floated delivery over wide long-off for a flat six. Excellent shot by the PBKS skipper. Only 5 more needed

Santner to Shreyas Iyer, 2 runs, nicely done. Shreyas Iyer goes down on his knee and scoops the pitched up delivery towards fine leg for a couple of runs

Santner to Nehal Wadhera, 1 run, flatter delivery around off, Nehal Wadhera slaps it to long-on for a single

Nehal Wadhera, left handed bat, comes to the crease

Santner to Josh Inglis, out Lbw!! Santner gets the set batsman. That's a successful review by MI. This was a length delivery around middle and leg, Josh Inglis looks to play the scoop and gets rapped on the pads. No bat involved and the replays confirm, three reds. This is crashing into the leg-stump. Josh Inglis walks back after playing a match-defining knock. Josh Inglis lbw b Santner 73(42) [4s-9 6s-3]

Santner to Josh Inglis, THATS OUT!! Lbw!!

Review taken for an lbw by Santner! Inglis could be in trouble. This looks very adjacent..

Santner to Josh Inglis, wide, fired down the leg-side, it's a wide ball

Santner to Josh Inglis, FOUR, he is unstoppable. Rocks back in the crease and lofts this towards wide long-off for four more