Ashwani Kumar strikes with his first ball, sends Priyansh Arya packing for 20 in PBKS vs MI IPL 2025 match

Mumbai Indians' pacer Ashwani Kumar struck with his first ball to get a much-needed wicket of Punjab Kings (PBKS) opener Priyansh Arya in the Qualifier 2 of IPL 2025. The match is being played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya roared after taking a simple catch just inside the circle.

With Jasprit Bumrah going for 20 in his first over, Pandya turned to Ashwani to bowl the next. The Punjab Kings were going for 11 an over at that stage as their scorecard read as 55/1.

Arya, who was 20 off 9, tried to go on the on-side but all the youngster managed was a leading edge and Pandya took the catch running in from mid-off. Despite the wicket off the first ball, Josh Inglis and Shreyas Iyer collected one boundary each in the remaining deliveries.

Watch the dismissal here

Earlier, the toss had fallen in favour of Punjab Kings' captain Shreyas Iyer, who opted to bowl first due to the overcast conditions. Punjab Kings brought in leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal for batter Musheer Khan. The Mumbai Indians also triggered one change, drafting in Reece Topley for Richard Gleeson.

The five-time champions propelled themselves to 204/6 after Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav chipped in with 44 runs each. Naman Dhir's cameo of 37 was equally pivotal in getting their side to a competitive score.

Priyansh Arya had scored a swashbuckling fifty against Mumbai Indians in the league phase

Although the 24-year-old had failed in the Qualifier 2 clash, he had scored an outstanding half-century in the league match against the same opposition. Chasing 185, Arya struck 62 off 35 deliveries and shared a 109-run stand with Inglis to drive Punjab Kings to victory.

Punjab Kings had faced the Royal Challengers Benglauru (RCB) in Qualifier 1 in Mullanpur but suffered a crushing eight-wicket loss. However, a victory against the Mumbai Indians will take them to the final to face RCB again.

About the author

Aayushman is a cricket journalist at Sportskeeda who covers news, features and listicles. A Finance graduate with a diploma in journalism, he has a total work experience of around 7 years and has bylines at reputed websites like Free Press Journal, Cricket Addictor, and Roar. Aayushman believes in presenting all the relevant information and facts in his articles to let the readers form their own opinions. His exploits in the industry have led to interview former Australia stalwart David Hussey.

A former Tata Consultancy Services employee, Aayushman has been supporting the Australian men's national team after being impressed with their aggressive and never-say-die attitude in the 2003 ICC World Cup. His favorite cricketer is Steve Smith, whose tremendous self-belief in his methods, despite them being unorthodox, inspire him a lot. Smith’s performances from 2019 Ashes Series only fueled this inspiration further. He would like to revisit the 2015 ICC World Cup semi-final clash between India and Australia if ever got hold of a time machine.

When not working, Aayushman loves to spend his spare time reading fiction books and watching one of his favorite television shows Grey's Anatomy.

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Edited by Aditya Singh