Punjab Kings (PBKS) had a remarkable journey in this year’s IPL, making only their third appearance in the playoffs. Led by Shreyas Iyer, the team unfortunately faced a defeat against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in Qualifier 1. The road to the final now requires them to defeat Mumbai Indians in Qualifier 2.
Looking back at their previous Qualifier 2 appearance in IPL 2014 against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, Punjab Kings had a stellar performance. Openers Virender Sehwag and Manan Vohra set the stage with a strong start, with Sehwag smashing a remarkable century of 122 runs off just 58 balls. David Miller also played a crucial role, scoring 38 runs to help PBKS reach a total of 226. Despite a valiant effort from CSK’s Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni, Punjab Kings emerged victorious by 24 runs, with Parwinder Awana shining with two wickets.
Now, let’s take a look at where the PBKS XI from that game are today:
Top-order: Virender Sehwag, Manan Vohra, Glenn Maxwell
- Virender Sehwag, the explosive opener, currently serves as a commentator and analyst for various media outlets.
- Manan Vohra, who contributed 34 runs in the game, now plays for Chandigarh in domestic cricket.
- Glenn Maxwell, who scored 13 runs and also bowled in the match, is a key player in Australia’s limited-overs teams and played for Lucknow Super Giants in IPL.
Middle-order: David Miller, George Bailey, Wriddhiman Saha, Axar Patel
- David Miller, who played a crucial innings of 38 runs, continues to be a significant part of South Africa’s limited-overs side and represented Lucknow Super Giants in IPL.
- George Bailey, the former PBKS captain, is currently serving as the Chairman of Selectors for the Australia men’s team.
- Wriddhiman Saha, the wicketkeeper-batsman, retired from all forms of cricket earlier this year.
- Axar Patel, the all-rounder, captained Delhi Capitals in IPL 2025.
Bowlers: Mitchell Johnson, Karanveer Singh, Sandeep Sharma, Parvinder Awana
- Mitchell Johnson, who bowled in the game, now works as a commentator.
- Karanveer Singh, who conceded runs in the match, last played competitive cricket for Chandigarh in 2019.
- Sandeep Sharma, who took a wicket in the game, played for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2025 before being sidelined due to injury.
- Parvinder Awana, who took two wickets in the match, currently participates in leagues dedicated to former cricketers.
As PBKS gear up for the crucial Qualifier 2 clash against Mumbai Indians, the memories of their past successes and the journey of their players from that historic game in 2014 serve as a reminder of their capabilities. The team will look to draw inspiration from their past achievements and strive for a spot in the IPL final.
