Punjab Kings (PBKS) reached their first IPL final in 11 years after successfully chasing down 204 against Mumbai Indians (MI) in Qualifier 2 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. While captain Shreyas Iyer grabbed the headlines with an unbeaten 87, veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin believes that three other players—Josh Inglis, Nehal Wadhera, and Priyansh Arya—were just as crucial in sealing the win.
Speaking on his YouTube show Ash ki Baat, Ashwin said, “I definitely appreciate Shreyas for a couple of shots — that six over extra cover against Ashwini Kumar off a free hit. Whenever they needed a boundary, he got it. But the game-changing batter was Josh Inglis, along with Nehal Wadhera.”
Ashwin went on to explain how Inglis took on Jasprit Bumrah at a pivotal moment. “They brought Bumrah in to stop runs and take a wicket. But Inglis hit him for 20 runs… That one particular over changed the tide of the game,” he said.
“Iyer is popular, so the credit that needs to go to Inglis and Wadhera might not end up going” – Ashwin
Inglis smashed 38 off just 21 balls, injecting momentum into the chase, while Wadhera anchored the innings with a fiery 48 from 29 deliveries. Ashwin remarked, “Iyer is popular, so the credit that needs to go to Inglis and Wadhera might not end up going.”
He also praised youngster Priyansh Arya for his impactful cameo, saying, “MI got two wickets in the powerplay, but his knock gave Punjab the momentum and gave Iyer the luxury to stay on course with Wadhera.”
Ashwin was full of praise for Arya’s potential, adding, “There is also a runaway superstar in the Punjab team, and we might see a lot of him in Indian cricket — Priyansh Arya.”
Concluding his analysis, Ashwin noted that MI’s total was always going to be difficult to defend. “But Mumbai werealways 15 runs short. In Ahmedabad, if you can’t score 220, it won’t be easy,” he said.
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