Yashasvi Jaiswal piling on the runs. Jofra Archer carrying forward the rhythm he rediscovered against Chennai Super Kings. Maheesh Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga finding their groove.
These were likely at the top of Rajasthan Royals’ wishlist ahead of their Saturday night clash with Punjab Kings — and they got everything they hoped for. RR handed PBKS, who were playing their first home fixture of IPL 2025, their maiden defeat of the season.
Jaiswal provided the early impetus, while Riyan Parag delivered a strong finish, helping RR become the first team to register a 200-plus total in an IPL match at Mullanpur. With this being just the sixth game at the venue, it was unclear whether 205 would be a match-winning score — that is, until Archer took the new ball.
Within six legal deliveries, PBKS had lost both openers. Archer, bowling at over 145kph, dismissed Priyansh Arya and Shreyas Iyer to give RR a flying start. Two more wickets followed in the first seven overs, putting PBKS firmly on the back foot. Even a resilient 88-run stand between Nehal Wadhera and Glenn Maxwell couldn’t pull them out of the hole.
Theekshana and Hasaranga applied the squeeze in the middle overs, limiting the scoring and eventually removing both set batters in quick succession. From there, PBKS collapsed, managing just one boundary in the final 5.4 overs. RR wrapped up a comprehensive 50-run win.
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Jaiswal, Samson Set the Tone with Steady Start
Yashasvi Jaiswal endured a nervy beginning, struggling against the new-ball swing generated by the left-arm duo of Arshdeep Singh and Marco Jansen. He slashed and missed multiple times, survived a miscue that narrowly evaded a backtracking mid-on, and managed just 12 runs off his first 14 deliveries.
But after a slow start to the season — with scores of 1, 29, and 4 — all he might have needed was a little time at the crease and a touch of fortune. The momentum shifted in the fourth over when he took Jansen on, hitting successive sixes: a deft ramp over the keeper followed by a muscular slog over midwicket. That burst seemed to kickstart his innings.
At the other end, Sanju Samson — leading RR for the first time this season after previously featuring as a batting-only Impact Player due to a finger injury — looked more assured from the outset. Though he faced fewer deliveries initially, Samson kept the scoreboard ticking. By the end of the powerplay, RR had reached 53 without loss — their first wicketless powerplay of the season — with Jaiswal on 32 off 22 and Samson on 20 from 14.
PBKS Fight Back with Smart Variations
After racing to 40 without loss in the first four overs, Rajasthan Royals were pegged back, managing just 45 runs in the following six. The shift in momentum was driven by the crafty leg-spin of former RR player Yuzvendra Chahal and the clever use of slower cutters from Lockie Ferguson and Marcus Stoinis on a pitch offering slight grip and variable pace.
Sanju Samson was dismissed in the 11th over, attempting to accelerate against Ferguson, while Jaiswal appeared to lose momentum. Stuck on 46 off 39, he finally broke the shackles by drilling Chahal straight down the ground to reach his half-century, then followed it up with a slog-swept six off the very next delivery. In the 13th over, he took on Stoinis for a six and a four, but his resurgence ended when he mistimed a well-disguised knuckleball from Ferguson, falling as the Kiwi pacer’s second victim.
Parag Shifts Gears to Power RR Past 200
Riyan Parag, promoted to No. 3, endured a scratchy start similar to Jaiswal’s. He struggled to adapt to the surface early on, particularly against Arshdeep Singh’s cutters that angled across him and turned further away. After four consecutive dot balls in the 16th over, Parag was stuck on 12 off 14 deliveries.
But then came the turning point. Taking a brief moment to compose himself, Parag returned with renewed clarity and balance at the crease. He cracked back-to-back boundaries off Arshdeep, sparking a furious onslaught that saw him smash 31 runs off his final 11 balls.
With handy cameos from Nitish Rana, Shimron Hetmyer, and Dhruv Jurel, Rajasthan Royals surged past the 200-run mark in the final over. Marcus Stoinis, who had given away just 12 runs in his first two overs, was taken apart for 36 in his next two—evidence of RR’s batters adjusting brilliantly to the pitch and finishing with a flourish.
Archer Strikes Early with Lethal Precision
Jofra Archer couldn’t have scripted a better start. His very first delivery was a searing 144.6kph beauty — perfect in length and line — that pinned Impact Sub Priyansh Arya to the crease. The ball moved from leg to off, beating Arya’s defensive prod and clipping the top of off stump with surgical precision.
Shreyas Iyer, however, seemed unfazed. The PBKS skipper got going in style, timing two elegant boundaries through the covers off Archer in his first four legal deliveries, living up to his coach’s lofty comparison to a purring Rolls Royce. But confidence quickly turned into overambition. Attempting to clear space for another off-side drive, Iyer exposed all three stumps — and Archer responded with a thunderbolt at 148.6kph, ripping straight through him to strike again.
RR Hold Firm Despite Brief Fightback from Wadhera and Maxwell
Even when Jofra Archer wasn’t in the attack, Rajasthan Royals kept chipping away at Punjab Kings. Marcus Stoinis gifted a return catch to Sandeep Sharma off a harmless seam-up delivery in the fourth over, and Prabhsimran Singh departed in the seventh, slog-sweeping Kumar Kartikeya straight to deep midwicket. With the required run rate climbing steeply — 163 needed from 82 balls — Glenn Maxwell joined Nehal Wadhera as PBKS looked for a rescue act.
A glimmer of hope emerged in the 10th over when both batters launched sixes off Kartikeya in a 19-run burst. But Maheesh Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga responded immediately, allowing just five and 12 runs respectively in the 11th and 12th overs — the latter a fine comeback after Wadhera had slog-swept the first ball for six.
Maxwell’s creativity came to the fore in the 13th, as he ramped and reverse-swatted Yudhvir Singh for consecutive boundaries. Wadhera brought up his fifty in the 14th with a clean straight six off Hasaranga, and started the next over with back-to-back fours off Theekshana, reviving PBKS’ hopes.
But just as momentum threatened to shift, the Sri Lankan duo showcased their guile. They teased the batters with wide, defensive lines, forcing mistakes. Maxwell holed out to long-off at the end of the 15th, and Wadhera followed suit on the first ball of the 16th, top-edging a slog sweep to deep midwicket. With six wickets down and 75 needed from 29, PBKS’ challenge fizzled out quickly as RR maintained their grip and closed out the match clinically.
FAQs
Who were the standout performers for Rajasthan Royals against Punjab Kings in IPL 2025?
Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag, and Jofra Archer were the key performers, with Jaiswal scoring big, Parag finishing strong, and Archer delivering early breakthroughs.
How did Jofra Archer impact the PBKS chase?
Archer dismissed Priyansh Arya and Shreyas Iyer in his opening over with fiery pace and movement, derailing Punjab’s start to the chase.
What was Rajasthan Royals’ total against PBKS in Mullanpur?
RR posted 205, becoming the first team to score over 200 at the venue in IPL history.
Did PBKS have any fightback during their chase?
Yes, Nehal Wadhera and Glenn Maxwell added 88 runs for the fifth wicket, briefly reviving hopes before both fell to the Sri Lankan spinners.
How did Maheesh Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga contribute to RR’s win?
They bowled tight spells, broke the crucial Wadhera-Maxwell partnership, and stifled scoring in the death overs to seal a 50-run win.
