Punjab Kings WON
T20
Punjab Kings beat RR by 10 runs
Man of the Match - Harpreet Brar
Punjab Kings
219-5
20.0/20 Ovrs
 
209-7
20.0/20 Ovrs
RR
Indian Premier League, 2025 |Match 59 |5/18/2025
Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur
Commentary
  • Well then, Punjab Kings delivered a statement win in Jaipur, strengthening their playoff bid by matching RCB in points but securing second place thanks to a superior net run rate. Rajasthan Royals, meanwhile, have endured a forgettable campaign. With their last two games set in Jaipur, PBKS will next lock horns with Delhi Capitals on May 24, Saturday, while RR will head to Chennai for their last game of the season, to take on their fellow eliminated side, CSK, on May 20, Tuesday. But the IPL thrill continues as it’s a Super Sunday double-header! The evening showdown between Delhi Capitals and Gujarat Titans has already commenced, with DC invited to bat first. You can switch tabs to catch all the live action. From this match center, it's goodbye! Cheers, take care!
  • Harpreet Brar is adjudged as the PLAYER OF THE MATCH for his exceptional bowling figures. He begins by saying that he is feeling really great and wants to dedicate this award to his wife, as this is his first POTM award after getting married. Adds that Ricky Ponting has motivated him to work on a lot of things. Says his plans were clear as he knew the batters would try to attack him. Points that the way the wicket was behaving, and the way RR were batting, his plans were not to provide easy boundary balls. Further tells that he has been working with Sunil Joshi for a few years now and he has taught him a lot. On being the second spinner behind Yuzvendra Chahal, he says when Yuzi came in the side, he felt a lot easier to bowl in tandem with him. Concludes by saying that cricket is a funny game and says he knew he would grab the opportunity whenever he got the chance to prove himself.
  • The captain of Punjab Kings, Shreyas Iyer, is up for a chat. Iyer cited a finger issue as the reason for not taking the field, stating that he was unsure what happened and needed to get it checked. Despite his absence, he had emphasized the importance of maintaining strong body language. Iyer expressed pride in his team's performance, highlighting their consistent approach and positive mindset. He commended their brilliant attitude, especially after a break, noting that they had gone out with the intention to win. Reflecting on the game, Iyer mentioned that the spinners might be challenging to get away from in future matches, which was a valuable learning experience. He also emphasized that his team has the ability to change the game from any situation.
  • It is time for the Presentation Ceremony...
  • Marco Jansen of Punjab Kings is up for a chat now. He first hands over the Orange Cap to Yashasvi Jaiswal, who just went past the 500-run mark with a quickfire fifty. He begins by saying that the ball was flying everywhere and adds that it was just about staying in the game. Says the talk was about getting two or three or four overs right, which would bring their run rate down. Admits that they executed their plans really well and finished off in the backend. On his conversations with Arshdeep Singh, Jansen says that he went with Singh's option which worked well for them. Says the body feels good and a small break helped in terms of mental things. Concludes by saying that whenever the team needed him, he has tried to stick up like everyone's doing.
  • The captain of the Rajasthan Royals, Sanju Samson, reflected on their chase, saying they got off to a strong start with nearly 90 runs in the first 6 overs but failed to build on that momentum. He expressed disappointment that despite having a strong batting lineup and power hitters, they couldn't chase down the target. Samson found it hard to pinpoint a particular aspect that went wrong, acknowledging that sometimes things don't go as planned, even with players capable of finishing games. He emphasized the need to finish well and build strongly for the next season.
  • Earlier in the game, Punjab Kings chose to bat but faced early setbacks, losing their top three, including the in-form Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh, inside the powerplay. Shreyas Iyer and Nehal Wadhera steadied the innings with a crucial 67-run stand, balancing caution and aggression, while Wadhera’s fluent fifty ensured Punjab stayed in control. The middle order stepped up with all incoming batters maintaining the tempo, and Shashank Singh’s blistering fifty in the backend propelled PBKS to a commanding 219. The Royals managed breakthroughs and disrupted partnerships but failed to arrest the momentum, leaking too many runs in the death overs. Tushar Deshpande picked up two wickets while Maphaka, Madhwal, and Parag claimed one each.
  • Backs were against the wall for the Rajasthan Royals, and the well-settled Dhruv Jurel had a mountainous task to execute. He kept the flame of the chase ignited, but was left searching for partners at the other end. The Kings kept chipping in with timely blows, which pegged the Royals back again and again. Jurel scored a gritty fifty and helped RR to get past the 200-run mark, but that too proved to be inadequate in the end as the Royals fell short by just 10 runs. 
  • Rajasthan Royals looked well in command on a placid surface, with Jaiswal setting the tone with his aggressive strokeplay, complemented by skipper Sanju Samson’s steady presence. They cruised to 114/2 by the halfway mark, but momentum quickly shifted. A sudden collapse saw them slump to 144/4 as the middle order struggled under pressure. Harpreet Brar emerged as Punjab's game-changer, dismantling RR’s resistance with three crucial wickets after the fielding restrictions eased.
  • With nothing to lose, the Royals' openers wasted no time in making their intentions clear. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi launched a relentless assault, dispatching anything pitched fuller with authority, ensuring dot balls were a rarity as they dominated the Powerplay. Harpreet Brar, though, managed to break the momentum by removing Sooryavanshi, but RR, riding on a blitzkrieg, surged to 89/1 compared to Punjab’s 58/3 by the end of the first six overs.
  • Punjab Kings register their eighth win of the season and have now climbed up to the second spot. But, overall, this was a fantastic game of cricket as 428 runs were scored across both innings, and only 10 runs separated both teams in the chase of 220. This marks the tenth defeat in this season for Rajasthan Royals off 13 games played. And if we are not wrong, this is the most number of losses for the Royals in a single season. Nonetheless, it was yet another high scoring affair between these two rivals, with Punjab Kings getting their fourth 200-plus score against the Royals in the IPL.  
  • 19.6
    4
    Marco Jansen to Kwena Maphaka, FOUR! A boundary on the last delivery of this contest. Full and on the pads, Kwena Maphaka shuffles across and scoops this towards the fine leg fence for four runs. Punjab Kings win this by 10 runs. 
  • 19.5
    4
    Marco Jansen to Kwena Maphaka, FOUR! On a length around middle and leg, Kwena Maphaka slogs this towards the gap between deep mid-wicket and wide long on for a boundary. 
  • 19.5
    1wd
    Marco Jansen to Kwena Maphaka, WIDE! On a length wide down the leg. Kwena Maphaka leaves it. Wided. 
  • Kwena Maphaka is in at 9 and will face the Hat Trick ball from Jansen.
  • 19.4
    W
    Marco Jansen to Wanindu Hasaranga, OUT! CAUGHT BEHIND! A golden duck for Wanindu Hasaranga. On a length, angling across the batter, Wanindu Hasaranga looks to slog at it but gets an outside edge straight to Prabhsimran Singh behind the stumps. 
  • Wanindu Hasaranga is in next.
  • 19.3
    W
    Marco Jansen to Dhruv Jurel, OUT! IN THE AIR AND GONE! That's the game for Punjab as Jansen sends the dangerous-looking Dhruv Jurel packing. Wide yorker, around off, Dhruv Jurel opens the face of his bat to hit this away to the fence, but mistimes it in the air, and the ball finds Mitchell Owen at the deep third fence. Dhruv Jurel departs for a fighting 53 (31).
  • 19.2
    1
    Marco Jansen to Shubham Dubey, Shubham Dubey has struggled to find the middle of his bat. On a length around off, Shubham Dubey goes for a slog but misses and hits this off the inside of his bat towards deep mid-wicket for one. 
  • 19.1
    1
    Marco Jansen to Dhruv Jurel, Nails the wide yorker, Dhruv Jurel steps across and hits this towards long off for one. 
  • END OF OVER 19 | 8 Runs & 0 Wkt | RR 198/5
  • Who bowls the last then? Jansen or Bartlett? Given the experience levels, it should be Jansen. And it is the Protea who will wrap up things in Jaipur! Rajasthan Royals need 22 to win off this final over.
  • 18.6
    2
    Arshdeep Singh to Shubham Dubey, Short-pitched again, wide of off, slower again from Singh. Shubham Dubey once again doesn't read this well, but this time manages to fend this towards deep mid-wicket and runs a couple. 
  • 18.5
    0
    Arshdeep Singh to Shubham Dubey, Slower one, short-pitched, around off. Shubham Dubey swings early and the ball arrives late. Dubey misses out completely. 
  • 18.4
    1
    Arshdeep Singh to Dhruv Jurel, Wide yorker, around off, excellent execution from Arshdeep Singh. Dhruv Jurel hits it off the toe end and rolls the ball to extra cover for one.