Punjab Kings vs Mumbai Indians Timeline: The Indian Premier League has always been a source of exhilarating rivalries and moments to remember. Of all rivalries, however, the Punjab Kings versus Mumbai Indians rivalry has been by far one of the least predictable and most entertaining rivalries in IPL history. After 17 seasons and 34 matches head-to-head, this rivalry has turned up its fair share of finishes, upsets, and momentum shifts that have engaged fans. Although Mumbai Indians are the most successful franchise overall, Punjab Kings have annoyed, startled, and outperformed them in crucial matches on numerous occasions. This is a timeline of their rivalry year-by-year.
Punjab Kings vs Mumbai Indians Timeline
The Early Days: Punjab Kings Begin Well (2008-2009)
The rivalry began in 2008, the first season of the IPL, and it kicked off with Punjab Kings (then Kings XI Punjab) making a strong first impression. In the very first match, played on April 25, 2008, Punjab won by a massive 66 runs at their home ground in Mohali. The rivals famously met again the following month, on May 21, 2008, again with Punjab winning – but this time only by a single run at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. When all was said and done that season, the first round of rivalry concluded with Punjab Kings holding a 2-0 record, showcasing their ability to keep their nerve in tense moments until the end of a match.
The rivalry continued into 2009, when the season took place in South Africa due to the general elections in India. Punjab’s season began positively as well as they enjoyed a 3-run victory after a close match at Kingsmead in Durban. However, later in the season, on May 12, 2009, they were met with their first victory at SuperSport Park in Centurion, with an 8-wicket victory. At the conclusion of the first two seasons, Punjab Kings already had three wins against the emerging power that would later be called the Mumbai Indians, whereas the Mumbai Indians only managed a single win against Punjab.
Momentum Swings and Balanced Outcomes (2010–2013)
In 2010, the pendulum swung both ways. Mumbai won the first game at Brabourne Stadium by 4 wickets but Punjab replied with a 6-wicket win in the return fixture at Mohali. This pattern continued for several seasons, with one team appearing dominant at one stage and the other team responding well at the next.
In 2011, Mumbai covered the home leg by 23 runs at Wankhede. Punjab however, completely outplayed them in the second leg, with a convincingly dominant 76-run margin of victory, the largest in the fixture between Punjab and Mumbai. This outplaying is a good reminder that Punjab, despite their inconsistent seasons, always had the firepower to beat the very best of teams, including Mumbai.
In 2012, of course, these countering narratives remained unchanged. Punjab stunned Mumbai at Wankhede with a 6-wicket victory on April 7 2012 and Mumbai again responded back in Mohali with a closer 4-wicket victory later in the month on April 28 2012. Both matches, in this case, were closely competitive in total, showing the parity of contest.
The 2013 season offered two very different matches. Mumbai sneaked a close 4-run win in the home match on April 29 and were beginning to show they were a team capable of defending close scores. On May 18, Punjab got their vengeance with a 50-run thrashing at Dharamsala, again suggesting that they could strike back.
Mumbai’s Emerging Authority Meets Resistance (2014–2016)
The 2014 season was the first time that Mumbai managed to win both matches in a single season. They beat Punjab, 5 wickets, at Wankhede on May 3, 2014, and then followed that up with a much more clinical 7-wicket win in Mohali later in the month. This was an indication that Mumbai were cementing themselves as a rounded team, able to impose their will on previously obstinate challengers.
However, in 2015, Punjab reversed the trend. On April 12 at Wankhede, they shocked Mumbai with an 18-run win. They showcased their gunpowder with strength in both bowling and batting. Mumbai then gave a good enough response by beating Punjab by 23 runs at Mohali in the return match on May 3. As always, with no time for mood swings, neither team could develop a streak of meaningful wins in the rivalry.
The 2016 season was consistent with the history of the two – Mumbai winning in Mohali by 25 runs, and Punjab coming back again – this time in Visakhapatnam – and winning by 7 wickets. The continual swapping back and forth was indicative of the inherent tension shared by the two teams in the rivalry. Rising tension and exciting finishes (2017 – 2019)
In 2017, Mumbai easily won the away leg in Indore by eight wickets. But the second leg at Wankhede gave one of the best thrillers of the season. On May 11, 2017, Punjab was able to defend their total and win by 7 runs. This only added more spice to the rivalry, as both teams were showing playoff aspirations as well.
If the 2017 season ended on a high note, the 2018 season had Mumbai firmly on top with two consecutive wins. They beat Punjab by 6 wickets in Indore on May 4, and then won by 3 runs in the Wankhede on May 16. These were close victories for Mumbai, and was a sign of Mumbai becoming more respected in their ability to deal with high-pressure situations.
In 2019, Punjab asserted itself once again, with an important 30 March win by eight wickets at Mohali, where the all-round performance was superb from Punjab. In the return fixture on 10 April, Mumbai won by three wickets in a nailbiter at Wankhede. The narrative has been the same each time – no team dominates the other consistently.
The Double Super Over Era and the Pandemic (2020–2021)
The 2020 season, played in the UAE due to the COVID-19 pandemic provided yet another great chapter to this rivalry. In the first match on October 1, Mumbai won convincingly by 48 runs in Abu Dhabi. But what happened in the return fixture on 18 October in Dubai became part of IPL folklore. The game ended up tied after time and progressed to a Super Over, which itself also ended up in a tie, progressing to a second Super Over unprecedented in IPL history. Punjab came out on top, and Australia’s Chris Jordan was part of probably the most dramatic and entertaining win in league history.
In 2021, the rivalry ended with yet again balanced results. On 23 April, Punjab won convincingly by nine wickets at the MA Chidambaram Stadium Chennai. Mumbai responded on September 28 in Abu Dhabi, winning by 6 wickets, and yet again, the teams continue the narrative of trading victories.
Punjab’s Rising Dominance (2022-2023)
In 2022, Punjab was the better team in their first meeting of the season. On April 13 in Pune, Punjab, in a game with lots of runs, defeated Mumbai by 12 runs. The win showed Punjabi teams demonstrating further consistency vs. Mumbai Indians.
In 2023, Punjab had the better of the first encounter, defeating Mumbai by 13 runs on April 22 at the Wankhede Stadium, the batsmen playing well. Mumbai was able to win the return encounter on May 3 at Mohali, chasing the target with 6 wickets remaining. Although teams were adding players and modifying their approaches, the teams’ ambitions of competing at the highest level was evident. The competitor at the top of their game, however, remained unchanged.
The Road to RevPass and a Shift (2024-2025)
The fixture for the 2024 season consisted of a single encounter, played at the new Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur. Mumbai won, narrowly, by 9 runs, illustrating they could still outplay the Punjab teams when it mattered most. This would be their last win over Punjab for some time.
The 2025 season became a landmark in the rivalry. On May 26, Punjab Kings played their league match versus Mumbai Indians at Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur, and Punjab Kings defeated Mumbai Indians by chasing down Mumbai’s target with 7 wickets to spare. This victory gave momentum for Punjab heading into the playoffs.
What happened next was the first in the rivalry. On June 1, 2025, Punjab Kings defeated Mumbai Indians again, this time by five wickets, in the second qualifying final at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. More than being another playoff win, Punjab were now a franchise with growth and which could perform under pressure in a high-stakes knockout match against a franchise that had been historically successful at playoff level; it marked a monumental turning point. In consecutive matches, and the knockout type, Punjab Kings had beaten Mumbai Indians, and it had officially put Punjab Kings into the IPL final. This was one of Punjab Kings’ best moments as a franchise.
Legacy of the Rivalry
Between 2008 and 2025, the IPL saw thirty-four matches between the two teams and while the head-to-head numbers slightly favor the Punjab Kings, currently with eighteen wins and the Mumbai Indians with sixteen wins. The Mumbai Indians are recognized as the overall IPL champion with five IPL titles, and they have made the playoffs in fifteen of their fifteen IPL seasons; however, the Punjab Kings have proven to be the more spirited rival in head-to-head matches. The Punjab Kings have been able to surprise, and occasionally embarrass, the Mumbai Indians in some of their most critical matches including the IPL 2020 competitive double Super Over, and 2025 IPL overall knockout win.
Over the years, this fixture has included everything a fan could want including finish trials, tactical brilliance, dozens of hundreds, bowling masterclasses, and more. As the IPL evolves with new formats, new venues, and new players, the Punjab Kings vs Mumbai Indians fixture will continue to be one of the pillars of the IPL storyline. The rivalry is a flagship match format that has passion, unpredictability, determination to win, and the will of both teams to win becomes disregarded, regardless of each team’s history and reputation. This fixture will continue to be one that fans and players love, year after year.
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