Punjab Kings (PBKS) captain Shreyas Iyer hilariously wiped his cheeks after team owner Ness Wadia planted a kiss during celebrations as the team reached the IPL 2025 final. PBKS defeated Mumbai Indians (MI) by five wickets in Qualifier 2 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad this weekend, and they’ll now face Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the summit clash at the same venue on Tuesday, June 3.

Shreyas Iyer played a pivotal role in his team’s victory against MI with his astute captaincy and a match-winning 87*(41) in the steep chase of 204. Josh Inglis (38) and Nehal Wadhera (48) supported him with aggressive contributions. As a result, PBKS reached the IPL after a gap of 11 years. They ended up as the runner-up in 2014 under the leadership of George Bailey, as Gautam Gambhir-led KKR beat them in the pinnacle clash that year.

The Punjab Kings contingent celebrated the memorable win against MI by cutting a cake in the team hotel. PBKS co-owner Ness Wadia planted a kiss on Shreyas Iyer’s cheeks, showering love for leading the side magnificently this season. Iyer was then spotted wiping his cheeks with a tissue immediately.

You can watch the moment in the video below:

“I love such big occasions”- PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer after his match-winning performance in IPL 2025 Qualifier 2 vs MI

Shreyas Iyer received the Player of the Match award for his splendid batting performance in the second innings of the PBKS vs MI clash. At the post-match presentation, he reflected on his knock and reviewed his team’s performance, saying:

“I love such big occasions and I always say that bigger the vision, the calmer you are. I was focussing on my breathing. No as I mentioned before the game, everyone needs to be assertive and needs to show the intent. It was stupendous and everyone was getting the timing going. I took some time to get in.”

“One match cannot define as a team. I just let them be, I don’t ask too much of them. I love their fearless attitude and love their ideas. On such big occasions, it’s important to gain more experience from these. To be honest I wasn’t thinking of which franchise I was going. I was looking for a positive environment and I have been provided that,” Shreyas elaborated.

Do you think Shreyas Iyer will become the first player to lead two different IPL teams to a Championship victory in successive years? Let us know your views in the comments section.