Former India cricketer Murali Kartik sparked controversy during his commentary of the IPL 2025 Qualifier 2 match between Punjab Kings and Mumbai Indians at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. His on-air comment about "the demise of Priyansh Arya" drew widespread criticism from fans, who demanded action from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
The controversial comment occurred while Kartik was summarizing Punjab's successful chase of 204 runs. Social media users expressed outrage, with many calling for his removal from commentary duties. The 48-year-old made the controversial statement as MI claimed the wicket of PBKS opener Priyansh Arya, who departed the crease after adding 20 runs to the scoreboard.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! The commentator's 'poor' choice of words did not sit well with fans on social media, who labelled it as an unforgivable mistake and even called for removal from his duties.
Punjab Kings secured a five-wicket victory over Mumbai Indians, advancing to their first IPL final since 2014. The win sets up the summit clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on June 3, guaranteeing a new IPL champion.
Punjab captain Shreyas Iyer led his team's chase with an outstanding unbeaten 87 runs off 41 balls, including five boundaries and eight sixes. His innings proved decisive in the chase as PBKS secured the win with an over to spare.
Nehal Wadhera also contributed significantly to the win, scoring 48 runs from 29 balls. He formed a crucial 84-run partnership for the fourth wicket with the captain.
The upcoming final will mark the fourth meeting between the two teams this season. Royal Challengers Bengaluru holds an advantage, having won two of their previous three encounters. Both victories for RCB came in consecutive matches played in Chandigarh. Their most recent triumph was an eight-wicket win in the first Qualifier on Thursday.
Who's that IPL player?The final will feature the two teams that finished at the top of the league table. For Punjab's skipper, it represents a second straight final appearance, following his successful leadership of Kolkata Knight Riders to victory in 2024.
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