Punjab Kings vs Rajasthan Royals IPL, 2025, Full Score Card

Shortish in length, on off, Dhruv Jurel pulls it along the ground to deep mid-wicket for a single to finish. RR post 205 on the board, getting 19 off the last over.

FOUR! Clever, so clever! Stoinis rolls the fingers over the leather and takes pace off, bowls into the surface, short and outside off, Dhruv Jurel waits for it and just ramps it over the keeper for a boundary.

SIX! A real freebie from Stoinis and Dhruv makes the most of it! The 200 is up for RR! A friendly full toss on the body, Dhruv Jurel picks it aerially and parks it behind deep mid-wicket for a six.

Takes the pace off, does Marcus, on a fullish length, around off, smashed down to long off by Parag, for just one.

SIX! INTO THE ORBIT! Parag's highest score this season now! Short of a good length, on off, Riyan Parag gets his bat properly under it and nails the pull over cow corner for a humongous six into the stands.

Pace off, short of a good length, on off, Dhruv Jurel pulls it through mid-wicket for a single.

Length-delivery, another slow ball, outside off. Dhruv Jurel drives towards deep cover for a run. Just 9 off the penultimate over then.

Dhruv Jurel is in next.

OUT! IN THE AIR, GONE! CAUGHT! Arshdeep makes a good comeback after the boundary! Gets his first scalp of the evening! A low full toss, angling on the leg stump line. Shimron Hetmyer gets crouched a bit to tonk it over the long on fence. But fails to generate much power on it. Sails off the toe-end of the bat and it travels only as far as Glenn Maxwell at long on, who is not dropping these dollies.

FOUR! Not a boundary-less over anymore! Short again from Singh, on top of off, slower one dug into the surface. Shimron Hetmyer waits, and waits for it, and pulls it through deep mid-wicket for a cracking boundary.

A low full toss, across off, just inside the tramline, Riyan Parag crouches and drills it down to long off for just one. Arshdeep and PBKS will take it. A boundary-less over so far.

Slower balls into the wicket have proven to be quite effective so far, and Rajasthan Royals would do well to take a leaf out of that book when it's their turn to bowl.

Shortish outside off, Shimron Hetmyer flat bats it to the cover region and rushes off for a quick single.

A slower one, short and outside off, Shimron Hetmyer stands tall, waits and pulls along the ground to the left of deep mid-wicket. The call is for two as the fielder mops it up and throws to the keeper on the bounce. Prabhsimran Singh collects the ball and whips the bails off, but Hettie gets safely back home by dragging his bat in. Two taken.

Arshdeep Singh (3-0-26-0) returns to the attack. Priyansh Arya comes in as the Impact Player for the Kings, replacing Yuzvendra Chahal. Arya will have a job to do in the chase at the top of the order.

Marco spears in a low full toss on the stumps. Shimron Hetmyer works along the ground to long on for a run. 17 runs from the 18th over then.

Good length and just outside off. Riyan Parag lifts this high in the air, but it lands just outside the circle towards long on region. Glenn Maxwell from long on runs in and keeps it to just one.

CATCHING OPPORTUNITY, PUT DOWN! Marco Jansen shells it! Deceptive change of pace, away from the batter's reach, full and outside off. Riyan Parag is through his shot early as he gets on his knee and tries to tonk it downtown. The ball gets skied off the toe-end of the bat, and swirls around the mid on region. Marco Jansen turns around to catch, but grasses it in the end. Two taken.

SIX! OH, WHAT A SHOT! Jansen goes fuller and on the legs this time, Riyan Parag brings the wrists in play and flicks it over deep fine leg for a six. A mini-helicopter shot that from Parag and he is in overdrive mode now.

SIX! Right out of the middle! Hard length from Jansen, on off, Riyan Parag stands tall and thumps it over long on for a 79-meter six.

Leg bye! Full and on the pads, Shimron looks to whip it away but misses. A leg bye is taken as the ball goes off the pads towards the off side.

Good length, on the middle stump. This is worked towards long off for a single.

SIX! Dropped chance? Seems like Yuzi lost the ball in the lights! Back of a length, around the body, Shimron pulls it aerially towards deep fine leg. Yuzvendra Chahal prepares to take a reverse cup catch, but loses the ball in the lights and the ball bursts through his hands for a six.

Pace off, outside off, on a length, Riyan Parag again misjudges to read the slower one and swings early. Misses and the ball goes on a bad bounce to the keeper, Prabhsimran Singh who fumbles to collect and the ball rolls behind him. The batters cross over. Wide called and Punjab Kings have reviewed it for a fair delivery! The front on replay shows that the ball is passing just beyond the guideline. The on-field decision stays.

Pace taken off, on a short length, around off, Parag is months early to pull, and misses.

Back of a length around off, Parag swings to pull and is beaten again.

A big mix-up but no harm done! On top of middle and off, on a length, Shimron Hetmyer hops on the back foot and tucks into the mid-wicket region for a single. With no one in the inner ring in that area, Lockie Ferguson himself chases the ball and slides as the batters motor for the first run. Parag is off for the second, and is more than halfway through but gets sent back as the deep mid-wicket fielder charges in and throws it to the keeper. A wayward throw allows Parag to retreat back in time at the batting end.

Angling across off, on a hard length, Shimron Hetmyer extends his arms to go through cover, but misses.

FOUR! Gee, that is hit it with real authority! Hard length, on the stumps, Riyan Parag waits for it, and smashes it with a flat bat, over the bowler for a cracking boundary. So after four dots on the bounce, Parag manages to squeeze out 8 off this one.

FOUR! He just had to get some bat on it! Too full, fairly outside off, Riyan Parag extends his arms, with the bottom hand coming off the grip. Slices it over short third for a boundary.

Fourth dot! Under real pressure, is Riyan! Another slower one, into the surface, over the top of off, Riyan Parag again fails to read the pace-off delivery and swings to pull, but misses to get any wood on it. Four dots in a row from Arshdeep.

Swing and a miss! Back of a length, angling across off again, Riyan Parag weighs on the back foot, and attempts to pull, but only connects thin air. A 120 kph delivery from Arshdeep. Not giving much pace to work with.

Shorter one, across off, Riyan Parag swivels to pull, but gets a bottom edge to it and rolls behind to the keeper.

A slower one, by the looks of it, around off, full, Riyan Parag glides it away to short third and sniffs a single. Runs a few steps ahead, but is sent back by Hettie on a sharp call.

FOUR! Shimron Hetmyer is away! Jansen goes short but not high enough to trouble the batter, on off. Mid-wicket is inside the circle and Shimron Hetmyer pulls. Beats the man there to his left for a boundary.

Bashes the hard length, on middle, Shimron Hetmyer hangs back and pats it down the deck.

Shimron Hetmyer is in at number 5.

OUT! CAUGHT! Nitish Rana holes out! Rana was looking to keep the momentum going but perishes in the process. Marco Jansen has his first wicket of the night. Marco hurls it full, on off, Rana backs away and targets the longer of the two square boundaries on the off side. Skies it straight up towards deep cover where Glenn Maxwell runs to his left and settles under it to take a neat catch.

The length is pulled back and it is the pace-on delivery, on middle and leg, Rana gets inside the line for the scoop but misses.

Wide! Takes pace off but this slides down leg, on a length, Nitish gets inside the line to help it away but misses.

Gets it right up there, at the toes, Riyan jams it out off the outer half of the bat to backward point for one.

Banged into the wicket, on middle, Nitish gets inside the line and helps it down to deep fine leg for a single.

STRATEGIC BREAK. Rajasthan Royals have slipped slightly from 89/0 to 123/2, but the positive thing for them is that all the incoming batters have shown that attacking intent to keep the scorecard ticking. Yashasvi Jaiswal's runaway train was halted by Lockie Ferguson, who is the only successful bowler for PBKS as of now. With enough wickets in the bank, RR will continue to stay in this attacking trajectory and aim at something around or above the 200 mark. Whereas, a wicket or two in quick intervals, will surely halt the momentum. Here's Marco Jansen back into the attack. He is 2-0-22-0 so far and replaces Marcus Stoinis.

Length ball on off, Rana punches it off the back foot to deep point for a single to keep the strike.

Fuller on middle, Rana flicks this nicely along the ground to the right of deep square leg. Two runs taken.

FOUR! Smart batting! Lockie goes fuller in length, on off, Nitish backs away and gets under the ball. Opens the bat face to glide it aerially but to the right of backward point for another boundary.

FOUR! Rana is up and running! Width offered by Lockie, on a good length, Rana throws his hands at the delivery and slams it to the right of extra cover for a boundary.

Fuller and sliding down leg, Rana goes for the flick, but can't get any bat on it as the line of that ball is too wide. The wicket-keeper dives to his right and stops it.

Nitish Rana is in at number 4.

OUT! CASTLED! The off stump goes for a toss! The slower ball does the trick for Lockie Ferguson and this is a timely wicket for the home side. Comes from around the wicket for the left-hander and serves the knuckleball, on the off stump line, on a length, Jaiswal stays leg side of the ball and has a hoick across the line. Gets beaten on the inside edge as the ball sneaks past the bat to uproot the off pole. Jaiswal departs on 67 (45) just as he was starting to shift gears. Rajasthan Royals are now 123/2.

Length-delivery, that was fast, 141 kph, on middle stump line, Riyan goes for the slog across the line, but the ball takes a leading edge and flies down to deep third man who collects it on the bounce. Single taken.

Will Chahal continue? Nope. Pace in tandem now as Lockie Ferguson (2-0-14-1) is back on.

FOUR! Excellent shot! Marcus nails the wide yorker on off, Yashasvi Jaiswal reaches out and manages to force it away. Beats the diving deep point fielder to his left for four more. Good over for RR. 17 runs off it.

SIX! Clean as a whistle! Marcus hurls it full in length and it is the off-cutter, around off, Jaiswal picks the variation. Holds his shape and bludgeons it over wide long on for a six.

Length ball on middle, Riyan Parag flicks it behind wicket towards short fine leg and takes a single.

FOUR! Not convincing, but they all count! Marcus digs in a slower bumper, on off, Riyan plays it a bit too in front of his body as he looks to take the short ball on. Gets a top edge that sails over short fine leg for a boundary.

Slower length delivery, well outside off, Jaiswal clears his front leg, and drives it off the back foot to long off for a single. Jaiswal was lining up for a big shot there.

Length ball on middle, Riyan Parag flicks it along the ground to deep mid-wicket for a single. Jaiswal wants the second there and starts running, but Riyan sends him back. Thankfully for RR, Jaiswal gets back in time. Perhaps the right call from Riyan.

Marcus Stoinis (2-0-12-0) returns into the attack. He replaces Lockie Ferguson.

SIX! All the way! Chahal drags the length back slightly but serves it right in the wheelhouse, on middle, Yashasvi Jaiswal gets down on a knee and nails the slog sweep over deep mid-wicket for a biggie.

FOUR! Powered down the ground and that will be FIFTY for Jaiswal! Slowest half-century of Yashasvi's IPL career in 40 balls, but this knock will do his confidence the world of good. Chahal goes a bit too full as he offers flight, on off, Yashasvi stays deep in the crease and hammers it to the left of long on for a boundary.

Fuller on leg, Riyan Parag flicks it behind the wicket and sets off for a quick single as the ball rolls down towards short fine leg.

Leg break on leg stump line, Riyan Parag looks to work it into the leg side, and again the ball turns a bit and produces a leading edge that goes into the off side.

Slower through the air, leg break on middle and leg, Yashasvi Jaiswal drives it off the back foot, along the ground to long on for a single.

Fuller leg break on off, Riyan Parag looks to flick it as he gets a bit of an leading edge that goes along the ground to long off. Single taken.

Change of ends for Yuzvendra Chahal (2-0-19-0). He replaces Marcus Stoinis.

Length ball sliding on the pads, Riyan Parag nonchanlantly flicks it behind the wicket, to the right of deep fine leg, who puts in a sliding dive to save potential three runs.

Full on off, Yashasvi Jaiswal drives it along the ground to long off for a single.

Full, quick, well outside off, perhaps an attempted yorker. Yashasvi Jaiswal goes for the lofted drive over covers, but only meets thin air as he gets beaten on the outside edge.

Length ball on off, Riyan Parag looks to defend it off the front foot but gets a thick outside edge, that goes along the ground to deep third man. Single taken.

Riyan Parag is in at number 3.

OUT! TAKEN! Lockie Ferguson breaks through for the Kings! Pace on with an upright seam and mid off stays inside the circle despite conceding a boundary on the previous ball. Sanju stands deep inside the crease and looks to loft this full ball over mid off, but can't get under it properly. Hits it flat as the bat twists at the point of contact. And lobs straight to Shreyas Iyer there, who takes it near his chest. The 89-run opening stand is broken. Samson falls for 38 (26).

FOUR! Lockie is welcomed back with a boundary! Not the right option with mid off inside the circle, leg cutter, full in length, on off, Sanju drives it between cover and mid off for a boundary.

Lockie Ferguson returns into the attack. He is 1-0-7-0 so far and replaces Yuzvendra Chahal.

Length ball, well outside off, Sanju Samson taps it into the off side towards point and takes a single.

Slower short ball, well outside off, Yashasvi Jaiswal attempts to ramp it over short fine. Marcus Stoinis spots it and hence, changes the line to wide outside off. Yashasvi Jaiswal eventually corrects his shot as he pushes it to short third for a single.

Slower length ball outside off, Yashasvi Jaiswal drives it off the back foot, straight to short cover. Dot ball.

Length ball sliding down leg, Sanju Samson wants to pull it over short fine, but he can't connect as the ball hits his thigh guard and goes towards short fine leg. Leg bye taken.

Fuller on middle, Yashasvi Jaiswal wanted to go big but couldn't get underneath the ball and flicked it to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Length ball well outside off, Yashasvi Jaiswal cuts it to the left of deep point for two runs.

STRATEGIC BREAK! The Rajasthan Royals will be quite pleased with the start they have had. Sanju Samson and Yashasvi Jaiswal hadn’t quite clicked as a pair coming into this game, but they have looked in sync tonight. There was some movement on offer early on, but that disappeared quickly. The surface has offered good carry and bounce, making stroke play relatively easy. That said, bowlers who have taken pace off, both pacers and spinners, have managed to extract a bit of grip and hold from the pitch. Can the Royals capitalise on this strong platform, or will Punjab claw their way back with some smart bowling? We shall find out soon enough.

Slower through the air on middle, Yashasvi Jaiswal comes down the track and flicks this along the ground to deep mid-wicket for a single to keep the strike.

Fuller, leg break, on off-stump line, Sanju Samson drives it off the front foot to deep extra cover for a single.

Fuller on middle-leg, Yashasvi Jaiswal sweeps it along the ground to short fine leg for a single.

Fuller and wide outside off, Yashasvi Jaiswal goes for the reverse-sweep but gets beaten as he can't connect any bat on it.

Fuller on middle, Sanju Samson pushes it off the front foot to long on for a single.

Slower through the air, a touch shorter in length, leg break delivery that turns into the left hander sharply, Yashasvi Jaiswal looks to cut it but has to curb the shot, due to the sharp turn. Eventually, he pushes it into the off side to the left of short cover for a single.

FOUR WIDES! Oopsie! Bonus runs for RR! Chahal misfires it outside leg, on a length, Yashasvi Jaiswal misses to connect and the ball spins further down leg, beating the keeper, Prabhsimran Singh to his right. Races away to the deep fine leg fence.

Slower short ball, outside off, Yashasvi Jaiswal pulls this on the bounce to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Good-length delivery, on middle-leg stump line, Sanju Samson works this along the ground to deep mid-wicket for a single.

FOUR! Straight as an arrow! Sanju moves into his 30s with that gorgeous stroke! Overpitched from Stoinis, on middle and leg, Sanju Samson takes his front foot ahead and with a straight bat face, drives it gun-barrel straight down the ground for a boundary. A silky-touch to that one from the RR skipper.

Length ball just outside off, Sanju Samson cuts this one as he wanted to find the gap between short third and backward point, but can't find it as he hits it straight to backward point. Dot ball.

Now a yorker on middle-leg stump line, Yashasvi Jaiswal drives it along the ground to long on for a single.

Slower short ball, outside off. Yashasvi Jaiswal wanted to steer it down to deep third, but couldn't get any bat on it.

Full length wrong'un, almost a yorker on middle stump from Yuzvendra Chahal. Yashasvi Jaiswal digs it out as he flicks this along the ground to deep mid-wicket for a single.

A touch fuller on middle-leg stump line, Sanju Samson pushes it off the front foot to long on for a single.

Fuller, tossed-up delivery, on middle, Yashasvi Jaiswal flicks it along the ground to the left of long on for a single.

Leg break on off stump line, Sanju Samson drives it along the ground to long off for a single.

FOUR! Pulled into the gap! Yuzi drops it on a length, on middle and off, Sanju Samson rocks back and pulls it between long on and deep mid-wicket for a cracking boundary. The deep mid-wicket fielder runs and dives to his left but stands no chance of intercepting it.

Fractionally short, googly just outside off, Yashasvi Jaiswal drives it off the back foot down to long on for a single.

A quiet over this from Maxwell! Floated full this time, on the stumps, Samson leans ahead and pushes it to the right of the bowler. Maxwell quickly moves to the right and stops it. Rajasthan Royals end their Powerplay at 53/0. A good positive start for the visiting team.

Back to over the stumps. On a length, over the top of the pegs, Sanju backs away and punches it straight to mid off.

Around the stumps, sliding on middle and leg, full in length, YJ heaves across, along the ground to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Length ball, spinning in, on off, Sanju Samson works it across and along the ground to long on. One taken.

FOUR! Cut away! A little drag down, on off, Sanju Samson hangs back and cuts it between cover and point for a boundary.

Starts on a length, around off, turning in. Sanju makes room and punches it to cover.

Double change? Yup. First sight of spin as Glenn Maxwell is introduced into the attack.

Finds the fielder again, does Jaiswal! Lockie serves a full ball, on off, Yashasvi drives it well but picks out the man at cover-point.

Lands it full now, on off, YJ drills it but straight to mid off.

SIX! Dispatched! On a short of a length, on off, Yashasvi Jaiswal gets his hands through the line of the ball and clears his front leg. Clobbers it over wide long on for a six. Moves to 31 and this is Jaiswal's highest score of this season.

Keeps it full, on off, Jaiswal firms the drive to cover.

Goes full and straight, at the stumps, Samson mistimes the drive wide of cover for a single.

Wow! Lockie beats the bat straight away! Angling in from over the wicket, around the top of the off stump, Sanju tries to turn it away with a closed bat face. Gets squared up as the ball straightens to zip past the outside edge.

Lockie Ferguson is into the attack now. He replaces Arshdeep Singh.

Pitched up at 136.7 kph, on off, Sanju pats it with a straight bat down the deck. Marco sticks out his left boot on the follow-through, and the ball deflects off the shoe to the right of mid on for one. An expensive over from Jansen. 19 runs off it.

Lands it nice and full, on off, Jaiswal knocks it to the right of mid on for a quick single.

SIX! Back-to-back sixes from Jaiswal! Jansen goes fuller this time but ends up serving it right in the arc, on off, Yashasvi gets his front leg out of the way and tonks it over deep mid-wicket for a biggie.

SIX! Clever, very clever! Not the best of balls though from Jansen with third man inside the circle, banged in short, over off, Jaiswal waits for the ball to arrive and ramps it towards the deep third fence for a six.

Pushes it across the right-hander, full in length, Sanju drops it with soft hands in front of backward point for a single.

FOUR! Lovely shot! Marco hurls it full but the line is on the pads, Sanju stays still at the point of impact and gets his bat out in front. Clips it to the right of mid on for a boundary.

On top of off, Yashasvi gets on top of the bounce and punches it to mid off.

In the channel on off, on a short of a good length, Yashasvi Jaiswal goes for the cut but misses.

FOUR! Not quite from the middle of the bat again, but it will do the job this time for Yashasvi Jaiswal! On the shorter side, on middle and leg, Jaiswal hangs back and jabs it over mid-wicket for a boundary.

Just over! Bangs it on a hard length, on off, the ball gets onto Jaiswal quicker than he expected it to, and also gets big on him. Tries to go over mid on while staying on the back foot. Gets it high on the bat but manages to clear the leaping Shreyas Iyer at mid on for a couple of runs.

Beaten! At 134.5 kph, on a good length, not that wide for the cut but Jaiswal throws his hands at the delivery and gets beaten on the outside edge.

On a good length, on off, Yashasvi Jaiswal presses back and swings to go over the in-field on the off side. Does not quite get hold of it, and the ball does not have enough legs to reach the fence. Nehal Wadhera goes after it and pulls it back. Two runs taken.

A tidy first over from Marco! On a nagging length, slanting in, on middle and leg, Jaiswal smears it towards deep backward square leg where Shashank Singh cuts it off with a slide to his right and keeps the batters to a single.

Gets the ball to jag back into the left-hander and tucks the batter up for room, Jaiswal can only punch it to mid on.

Brings the line closer to the off stump, on a short of a length, YJ steers it straight to short third.

Play and a miss! At 133.2 kph, Jansen hits the deck hard and serves it outside off, Jaiswal flays at the delivery but the ball sails over his horizontal bat due to the lift off the deck.

Stays over the wicket to the right-hander, on the fuller side, on middle, Sanju pushes it wide of mid on and gets to the other end.

Short and wide on off, cut away to deep point for a single by Yashasvi Jaiswal.

The tall, lanky Protea, Marco Jansen to share the attack from the far end.

This is on a back of a length, angling in at the hips, Yashasvi swats it on the bounce to deep backward square leg where Suryansh Shedge almost overruns it as he sprints to his left. Recovers well and stretches out his right hand to make the stop. A single taken.

On a good length, on middle, Yashasvi Jaiswal gets behind the line and solidly defends.

Excellent effort from Maxwell! Shaping back in, on a good length, Samson just times his flick to the right of mid on. Maxwell gives it a good chase and keeps the ball in play. Tumbles over the ropes and comes back in to release the throw quickly. Fires it on the bounce and it is on top of the stumps at the bowling end. Arshdeep collects and takes the bails off, but Sanju is in with a dive.

FOUR! Easy pickings and Samson is away! Singh strays on the pads, on a short of a length, Sanju makes use of the inward shape on offer and swipes it down to the deep fine leg fence for a boundary.

Gets the ball to move away from the right-hander, on a hard length, on off, Sanju stabs it down off the back foot.

Corrects his line and drags the length back, on middle, Yashasvi Jaiswal waits back and nudges it behind square leg for a single to get off the mark.

Wide! Arshdeep gets some good away shape, but this goes beyond the tramline on off, on a length, Jaiswal flashes at the delivery but does not connect. Rajasthan Royals are underway with this extra!

All in readiness for Match number 18 to get underway, here in Mullanpur! First home game for the Punjab Kings and it is buzzing with a sea of red and an odd sprinkling of pink here and there. The two umpires walk out to the middle. Shreyas Iyer leads his troops to the field as the Punjab Kings spread out to the park. RR skipper, Sanju Samson is accompanied by Yashasvi Jaiswal to open. Arshdeep Singh has the new ball for PBKS and will bowl to Jaiswal, who will take the strike. The timer goes off and here we go...

Over in Chennai, the Capitals have made it three wins in as many games with a comprehensive victory. The Super Kings never really found their footing in the daunting chase of 184, struggling throughout to build any substantial momentum. With this win, DC have surged to the top of the standings and remain one of only two unbeaten teams so far, alongside PBKS. That could, however, change depending on how things unfold tonight in Mullanpur, but a win for PBKS would see them reclaim the top spot.

Impact players nominated by Rajasthan Royals - Kunal Singh Rathore, Shubham Dubey, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Kumar Kartikeya and Akash Madhwal.

Rajasthan Royals (Playing XI) - Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson (C), Nitish Rana, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Shimron Hetmyer, Wanindu Hasaranga, Jofra Archer, Maheesh Theekshana, Yudhvir Singh (In for Tushar Deshpande), Sandeep Sharma.

Impact players nominated by the Punjab Kings - Priyansh Arya, Harpreet Brar, Praveen Dubey, Vishnu Vinod and Vyshak Vijaykumar.

Punjab Kings (Unchanged Playing XI) - Prabhsimran Singh (WK), Shreyas Iyer (C), Nehal Wadhera, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Shashank Singh, Suryansh Shedge, Marco Jansen, Lockie Ferguson, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal.

The skipper of the Rajasthan Royals, Sanju Samson, says that he feels good to be back on the field and that they are looking forward to batting first and putting up a decent total. He says he felt a little helpless sitting in the dugout and watching the team play in the previous games. Due to a new management, Samson reckons it naturally takes a bit of time for things to settle and gel together. Says the last match was a perfect outing for them and they will be looking to carry that momentum forward. Informs that Tushar Deshpande misses out due to a small niggle, with Yudhvir Singh coming in as his replacement.

The captain of the Punjab Kings, Shreyas Iyer, says it is the first game here and they just want to see how it plays. Says they played a few practice games here and mentions about the dew coming in later. Adds they need to stabilize their rhythm from the early days and says the boys are in high spirits. Says they need to stay calm and composed as it sometimes gets into the head. Also adds they have played practice games, so each individual gets a fair bit of idea on how the track is going to play. Highlights about playing the last two games on the red soil pitch, so they got a couple of good sessions to analyse and adapt as quickly as possible. Ends by confidently saying they have got the mindset of champions and is hopeful they can execute it. Informs they are going with the same side.

TOSS - Punjab Kings have won the toss and they will BOWL first.

PITCH REPORT - Ian Bishop is inspecting the deck at Mullanpur. He says it is cool out there and then informs about the dimensions. Says it is 65 meters and 66 meters on the square, with 74 meters down the ground. Sees a bit of grass here and there, with the rest of the pitch being bare. Michael Clarke joins and observes some dry patches and says that the deck is pretty hard. Expects the conditions to remain the same throughout the 40 overs. Also mentions that a lot of dew might come in later as well. Reckons 170-180 would be a good total on this surface.

As is the tradition for every team’s first home game, an opening ceremony is underway tonight in Mullanpur ahead of Punjab’s first outing at home this season. And lighting up the stage is Jasmine Sandlas, setting the tone for what promises to be a cracking evening of cricket!

Down in Chennai, in the first game of the day, the Delhi Capitals are firmly in control after posting 183, anchored by KL Rahul’s 77. In response, the Chennai Super Kings crumbled early, losing their top three inside the Powerplay and are currently 96/5 at the end of 14 overs. With 88 runs needed from 36 balls, the situation looks bleak, but the ever-hopeful Chennai faithful will be counting on something special from Vijay Shankar and MS Dhoni to pull off a miraculous turnaround.

On the other hand, RR are in the bottom half of the table and they would be itching to climb the ladder with a win. Captain Sanju Samson has been declared fit by the NCA and is expected to be back captaining the side, which will be a big boost for RR. So, will the Punjab Kings continue their winning momentum, or can RR win back-to-back games and generate some much-needed momentum? We shall find out.

PBKS have been flying high as they are sitting pretty at the top of the table. Their first game was a close affair against GT where their bowlers managed to hold their nerves in the end. Their second game saw them register a dominating win over LSG. Currently, they are doing well in all the departments, and they would be looking to continue their winning momentum as they will be playing their first home game of the season. 

Hello and welcome to our coverage of the second game of this double-header Saturday in the 2025 Indian Premier League. The Punjab Kings are all set to take on the Rajasthan Royals at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur. We are now well into the season, with each team having played at least 2 games. PBKS have had a rollicking start to their season, winning both their matches while RR, who lost their first two games, would be feeling confident after the win over CSK in their last game.

... MATCH DAY ...

Match 18 of the 2025 IPL season is here and it will be Punjab Kings taking on Rajasthan Royals at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur in what will also be the Kings' first home game of the season. It will also be the second game of what is a double-header day in the 2025 IPL season. Two teams that have had contrasting fortunes in recent years in the IPL with Punjab Kings struggling to make the playoffs and Rajasthan Royals making the top four in 2 of the last 3 occasions. However, with this being the mega auction year, the teams have and players have been shuffled around quite a bit and that has brought change in fortunes for both sides. Punjab have managed to notch up two impressive victories on the road to kick start the campaign, whereas Rajasthan are coming off their first win after suffering a couple of early losses. Talking a bit more about the home team, Punjab Kings have shifted from the PCA Stadium in Mohali to the brand-new one in Mullanpur and their fans will be ecstatic to see an in-form side perform on the very first home outing of the season. Skipper, Shreyas Iyer has been a revelation and he even notched up an unbeaten 97 in the last game against Lucknow Super Giants. The Indian batting contingent has also stepped up, as the likes of Prabhsimran Singh, Nehal Wadhera and Shashank Singh have all had an impressive outing to their names. The bowling has been on the expensive side but they've done reasonably well with Arshdeep Singh leading from the front. The Royals, on the other hand, finally managed to get a win on board after suffering to huge losses against SRH and KKR. They defeated CSK in style and the morale of the team will be high at the moment. It was Nitish Rana who was the wrecker-in-chief with the bat, but stand-in skipper Riyan Parag too played a vital role, after which the bowlers held their nerves. The huge positive from the last game is certainly the stellar outing Jofra Archer and Wanindu Hasaranga had with the ball and they will be looking to build on it. However, Yashasvi Jaiswal's form continues to be a cause of concern for RR who look to topple a high-flying PBKS side at their home turf as well. The Kings certainly have a bit of an edge heading into this encounter but IPL is a great leveller and you need to be at the top of your game every time, otherwise, the opposition are too good not to take advantage of the slightest of scurmishes. Who you you reckon will come out on top in this encounter?