Picture Credit: X/IPL
Shreyas Iyer-led Punjab Kings (PBKS) on Monday, May 26, defeated Mumbai Indians (MI) by seven wickets in a convincing manner with nine balls to spare in match 69 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. With this win, the Punjab-based franchise consolidated their position in the top two and will now play the Qualifier 1 on Thursday, May 29 in Mullanpur.
While might be a win for the Preity Zinta co-owned franchise, what caught the attention after PBKS sealing the top two spot was Shashank Singh’s viral podcast where he manifested to finish in the top two in IPL 2025. It is to be noted that the PBKS all-rounder, in a podcast with renowned journalist Shubhankar Mishra, predicted PBKS to finish at top two.
It feels surreal. It's very satisfying: Shashank Singh reacts after PBKS’ top two finish in IPL 2025 standings
"Punjab Kings number one. Top two bol raha hu. Jis din 14th match hoga message karunga aapko ki mera podcast chala do first. (I am saying top two. The day of the 14th match, I will message you to play my podcast again)," Shashank Singh had said in a podcast with Shubhankar Mishra, prior to the start of IPL. However, the video has been making rounds once again after PBKS sealed the top of the table with 19 points under their name.
When asked about the same after their recent win, which came on Monday against MI, Singh said, "It feels surreal. Finishing in the top two is not easy in a league like the IPL. To be very honest, it's very satisfying.” "The best thing is, obviously, we manifested this as a team - not just individually, but as a unit. Right after the auction, we created a WhatsApp group and talked about winning the title this year. Our first aim was to finish in the top two, and we've cleared that hurdle,” he further added.
"But manifesting is one thing, and believing is another. So, we believed, we manifested, and then we worked hard. Full credit to the management, the support staff, everyone - every single individual contributed," Singh concluded.
While this is a big achievement for the Punjab Kings, they secured the top two spot after 11 long years, sending Mumbai Indians into the Eliminator. The Shreyas Iyer-led franchise will now host either of Gujarat Titans or Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur on Thursday, May 29.
