The Mohali-based franchise, Punjab Kings, is one of the first teams in the Indian Premier League. They were formerly known as “Kings XI Punjab.” They changed their name ahead of the 2021 season. This team has had some of the biggest superstars playing for them in the competition. But one major thing is missing from PBKS, which is an IPL title.
Punjab hasn’t been able to win a single edition of the league in 15 seasons. In fact, they have only made it to the IPL playoffs twice in 15 seasons, which speaks volumes about the team’s performance over the years. But the stats don’t always show the exact numbers. PBKS has had their chances, but they are yet to convert into the big one.
Punjab Kings Final match List
Punjab made it to the semifinals (playoffs) of the very first season in 2008 under the leadership of Yuvraj Singh. But they lost to the Chennai Super Kings in the semis to end their 2008 campaign as semi-finalists. However, former Australian captain George Bailey led this team to the finals in 2014. And in this article, we will cover the instance when Punjab played in the final of the Indian Premier League.
| Season | Against | Venue | Date | Result |
| 2014 | Kolkata Knight Riders | Bengaluru | June 01, 2014 | Runners-up |
1. 2014 season Final vs Kolkata Knight Riders – Runners up
In 2014, the Punjab Kings reached their first IPL final. It was George Bailey who was the captain of the team. That team had the likes of Virender Sehwag, Glenn Maxwell, David Miller, Mitchell Johnson, and many more big names. Punjab started the tournament with a bang, registering five wins in a row against CSK, RR, SRH, KKR, and RCB. They faced their first defeat in their sixth game against MI.
But after that, they won six out of their next eight games. As a result, Punjab ended the group stage at the top. This was the first time that Punjab topped the group stage in 15 seasons. Then, they faced the Kolkata Knight Riders in Qualifier 1 at Eden Gardens. Batting first, KKR made 163/8 in their first inning. But Punjab was not able to chase down the target and ended at 135/8, losing the game.
Then, they faced the Chennai Super Kings in Qualifier 2 at Wankhede. It was a high-scoring thriller, and Punjab posted a big total of 226/6 in their inning. CSK could only manage 202/7 and lost the game by 24 runs. As a result Punjab reached to their first ever IPL final. They were up against KKR in the final. Notably, prior to the final, both teams played three games in the season, and KKR won two while PBKS won one.
The final was once again a high-scoring contest. PBKS scored a challenging total of 199/4 in their batting inning. Wriddhiman Saha scored a brilliant, unbeaten hundred. He made 115 not out off 55 balls, with 10 fours and 8 sixes. It was a big chase for KKR, too, with the pressure of the final. But they did it in the last over of the game. Manish Pandey led the chase and scored a 50-ball 94 runs to help KKR make 200/7 and win their second IPL title.