Rajasthan Royals delivered a strong team performance with both bat and ball, securing a convincing 50-run win against the Punjab Kings in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh. This defeat marked the fifth loss for the hosts in six matches since their relocation from the PCA Stadium in Mohali to the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur. As a result, the Delhi Capitals remain the only team without a loss in the ongoing IPL 2025.
Yashasvi Jaiswal gets back in form
Punjab Kings demonstrated exceptional bowling skills, effectively utilizing the early swing available. Their two left-arm fast bowlers, Arshdeep Singh and Marco Jansen, were particularly effective during their initial overs, consistently delivering back-of-a-length balls. Arshdeep was unfortunate not to secure the wicket of Yashasvi Jaiswal, as his short-ball strategy nearly succeeded, but the ball eluded Shreyas Iyer’s outstretched hand. However, Jansen faltered in his second over when Samson skillfully directed a fuller delivery past mid-on. Jaiswal concluded that over with a ramp shot over short third-man for a six, followed by a powerful heave over mid-wicket that cleared the boundary. The left-handed batsman then struck his third six of the PowerPlay with a powerful shot over cow corner. The Royals’ opening pair completed the PowerPlay without losing a wicket, marking the visitors’ first such achievement of the season.
Following the PowerPlay, the run-scoring continued as Samson elegantly clipped Yuzvendra Chahal to the boundary. The Royals’ captain then executed a magnificent straight drive down the ground, allowing the team to find occasional boundaries. Lockie Ferguson eventually disrupted the partnership when Samson hit a well-placed delivery directly to mid-off, against the flow of the game. Jaiswal maintained his aggressive scoring after his captain’s exit, hitting a four and a six off Chahal, which brought him to his half-century off 40 balls, his slowest in the IPL. He continued to accelerate, dispatching Marcus Stoinis for a six down the ground and concluding the 17-run over with another boundary, while new batsman Riyan Parag also contributed with a four. Ferguson then dismissed the left-handed Jaiswal in the following over with a slower ball that sent the stumps flying. Nitish Rana, coming off a brilliant 81 from the previous week, started with two boundaries but did not last long, as he top-edged a shot to Glenn Maxwell at deep cover.
With 142 on the board and plenty of wickets in hand, the Royals had their eyes set on 200. They did breach the 200-run mark but were ably assisted by the Kings who missed a slew of run-out chances and spilled a few catches off both Parag and Shimron Hetmyer. Arshdeep began the 16th over with four slower balls which deceived Parag but turned back to pace-on for the final two balls which the right-hander dispatched to the fence. Chahal spilled Hetmyer at deep fine-leg which went through the fielder’s hands and immediately gestured to the lights. The Royals continued to operate in fifth gear as Parag clubbed Jansen for two sixes. Another drop ensued as a skier off the next ball, was put down by the bowler running back. The hosts finally held on to a catch as Hetmyer clubbed a full-toss to the hands of Maxwell. Stoinis conceded 19 runs in the final over with Dhruv Jurel (13 off 5) and Parag taking the Royals to a competitive 205/4.
Punjab Kings fall short despite having a great batting order
Jofra Archer commenced with an exceptional delivery that seamed slightly away, striking the top of Priyansh Arya’s off-stump and resulting in a golden duck for him. However, the home team remained undeterred as Iyer elegantly lofted the ball over extra-cover for a boundary. He replicated this shot two deliveries later, securing another four runs. Unfortunately, Iyer’s innings ended abruptly when he attempted a reckless shot that led to his stumps being dislodged, leaving the hosts with two wickets down in the opening over. The situation deteriorated further for the home side when Sandeep Sharma dismissed Stoinis off his own bowling, concluding a disappointing evening for the Australian. Amidst the ongoing wicket losses, Nehal Wadhera was dropped by Jurel at long-off while he was still on four runs.
Prabhsimran Singh fell shortly after the PowerPlay, executing a slog-sweep that was easily caught at mid-wicket. Wadhera finally registered his first boundary on his 11th delivery with a short-arm jab to the boundary. This shot boosted the local player’s confidence, prompting him to follow up with a reverse-sweep against the crafty Wanindu Hasaranga. Maxwell took on Kumar Kartikeya, displaying a variety of shots, while Wadhera launched the left-arm spinner’s googly into the stands during a 19-run over. The partnership gained momentum, accumulating 27 runs in the 12th and 13th overs, which helped PBKS reach the 100-run mark. Wadhera was particularly aggressive against Hasaranga and Kartikeya, dancing down the pitch to the former before sending him over the boundary, bringing up his half-century off just 33 balls. He capitalized on opportunities against Theekshana with two boundaries on the onside, but his partner, Maxwell, fell unexpectedly as his lofted shot was caught by Jaiswal at long-off.
The loss of Maxwell just before the death overs was soon followed by Wadhera’s dismissal on the first ball of the 16th over. The left-handed batsman dragged a googly from well outside off-stump to the onside, where he was caught at deep mid-wicket. The young Suryansh Shedge then slashed a slower ball to sweeper cover off Sandeep, and Jansen was dismissed by Theekshana, caught by Hetmyer.
SCORECARD: Rajasthan Royals 205/4 in 20 overs (Yashasvi Jaiswal 67, Riyan Parag 43; Lockie Ferguson 2-37, Arshdeep Singh 1-35) beat Punjab Kings 155/9 in 20 overs (Nehal Wadhera 61, Glenn Maxwell 30; Jofra Archer 3-25, Sandeep Sharma 2-21) by 50 runs.
