Mumbai Indians (MI) booked their place in Qualifier 2 of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 with a convincing win over Gujarat Titans (GT) in the Eliminator.

Led by Hardik Pandya, MI will now face Shreyas Iyer's Punjab Kings for a place in the final. However, their progress has sparked concern in the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) camp - and for good reason.

Only MI Have Done It - Twice

Since the introduction of the playoff format in 2011, only one team has won the Indian Premier League (IPL) title after advancing through Qualifier 2 - and that team is Mumbai Indians (MI). They've achieved this rare feat twice.

In 2013, Mumbai Indians (MI) lost the first qualifier but bounced back to win Qualifier 2. They then defeated MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings in the final to claim their first IPL title.

Again in 2017, Mumbai followed the same path - a loss in Qualifier 1, a win in Qualifier 2, and a dramatic win over Rising Pune Supergiants in the final, securing their third title.

This will be the fourth time Mumbai Indians (MI) play IPL Qualifier 2. In 2019, they reached the final through Qualifier 2 but fell short in the final against Chennai Super Kings.

Mumbai Indians (MI) will now face Punjab Kings on June 1 at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, in a high-stakes clash. The winner will move on to face RCB, who secured a final berth by defeating PBKS in Qualifier 1.

With MI's proven record of bouncing back and winning from this stage, the pressure is on - not just for Punjab Kings, but also for RCB, who know exactly what Mumbai Indians are capable of.