On May 18, 2025, the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur was buzzing with excitement as the Rajasthan Royals vs Punjab Kings Match Scorecard 59 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. This clash was a tale of two teams with different fortunes: Punjab Kings were fighting for a playoff spot, while Rajasthan Royals, already out of playoff contention, were playing for pride. The match delivered high-octane cricket, with Punjab Kings emerging victorious by 10 runs in a thrilling chase. Let’s dive into the details of this exciting game, breaking down the scorecard, key moments, and what made this match a memorable one.
The Build-Up: A Clash of Contrasts
The IPL 2025 season was nearing its climax, and this match held significant stakes, especially for Punjab Kings. Sitting third on the points table with 15 points from 11 matches, PBKS were in top form, driven by a strong batting lineup led by openers Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh. The team had recently bolstered their squad with Mitchell Owen and Kyle Jamieson replacing the injured Glenn Maxwell and Lockie Ferguson, adding depth to their lineup. Their goal was clear: secure a win to strengthen their playoff bid.
Rajasthan Royals, on the other hand, were in a tough spot. Positioned ninth with only six points from 12 matches, their season had been plagued by injuries and inconsistent performances. Key players like Nitish Rana and Sandeep Sharma were ruled out, and the team was looking to end their campaign on a high note at home. Despite their struggles, RR had a history of performing well against PBKS, having won a thumping victory earlier in the season in Mullanpur. This set the stage for an intriguing battle.
The Toss and Team Lineups Rajasthan Royals vs Punjab Kings Match Scorecard
Punjab Kings’ captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and elected to bat first, a decision influenced by the batting-friendly conditions at Jaipur. The pitch at Sawai Mansingh Stadium is known for favoring batsmen, especially in the first innings, and PBKS aimed to post a big total. Their lineup included power-hitters like Nehal Wadhera and Shashank Singh, with Marco Jansen and Azmatullah Omarzai adding all-round firepower. RR, led by Sanju Samson, made a notable change, bringing in young pacer Kwena Maphaka in place of Jofra Archer.
Punjab Kings Playing XI: Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Shreyas Iyer (c), Shashank Singh, Nehal Wadhera, Mitchell Owen, Azmatullah Omarzai, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal. Impact Sub: Harpreet Brar.
Rajasthan Royals Playing XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Sanju Samson (c, wk), Riyan Parag, Shimron Hetmyer, Dhruv Jurel, Wanindu Hasaranga, Kwena Maphaka, Tushar Deshpande, Akash Madhwal, Fazalhaq Farooqi. Impact Sub: Shubham Dubey.
Punjab Kings’ Innings: A Tale of Recovery
Punjab Kings started their innings with intent but faced early setbacks. RR’s bowlers struck hard in the powerplay, reducing PBKS to 58/3 after six overs. Tushar Deshpande was the star early on, dismissing Priyansh Arya (19 off 11.5 overs) and Prabhsimran Singh (34 off 33.1 overs), while Mitchell Owen (34 off 23 overs) fell to Riyan Parag’s part-time spin. The early wickets put pressure on PBKS, but their middle order stepped up brilliantly.
Nehal Wadhera and Shreyas Iyer steadied the ship with a crucial 67-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Wadhera played with fluency, scoring a career-best 70 off 37 balls, including powerful strokes that kept the scoreboard ticking. Iyer, despite a finger injury from training, contributed a steady 30 off 25 balls. After Iyer’s departure, Shashank Singh took charge, playing an unbeaten 59 off 30 balls. His aggressive batting, combined with Azmatullah Omarzai’s quickfire 21* off 9 balls, powered PBKS to a formidable 219/5 in 20 overs. The sixth-wicket partnership of 50 runs in just 19 balls was a game-changer, giving PBKS a total that looked challenging on paper.
RR’s bowling unit had mixed fortunes. Tushar Deshpande was the pick of the bowlers with 2/37, while Riyan Parag (1/26) and Akash Madhwal (1/8) chipped in with a wicket each. However, RR struggled to contain the run flow in the death overs, allowing PBKS to post a massive total.
Rajasthan Royals’ Chase: A Blazing Start Fizzles Out
Chasing 220, Rajasthan Royals needed a strong start, and their openers delivered in style. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Suryavanshi came out all guns blazing, racing to 76 runs in just 4.5 overs. Their partnership was a spectacle, with RR posting their highest-ever powerplay total of 89/1 after six overs. Jaiswal smashed a scintillating 50 off 25 balls, earning him the Orange Cap for crossing the 500-run mark in the season. Suryavanshi complemented him with a brisk 40 off 14.5 overs, dealing in boundaries and sixes.
However, the momentum shifted dramatically after the powerplay. Harpreet Brar, PBKS’s impact substitute, turned the game on its head with a sensational spell. He dismissed Suryavanshi, Jaiswal, and Riyan Parag (caught after a 17-run over that included two sixes), finishing with figures of 3/22 in four overs. His ability to bowl tight lines and exploit the slowing pitch was pivotal in derailing RR’s chase. Sanju Samson (2 off 3) and Wanindu Hasaranga (0 off 1) fell cheaply, leaving RR reeling.
Dhruv Jurel waged a lone battle, scoring a fighting 53 off 31 balls, including three fours and four sixes. His knock kept RR in the hunt, but the asking rate kept climbing. Shimron Hetmyer (10 off 16.1 overs) and Shubham Dubey (1 off 17.2 overs) couldn’t provide the necessary support, and despite Jurel’s heroics, RR needed 22 runs off the final over. Marco Jansen held his nerve, dismissing Jurel (caught by Mitchell Owen) and conceding only 11 runs, sealing a 10-run victory for PBKS. RR finished at 209/7, falling just short of the target.
Key Moments and Performances Rajasthan Royals vs Punjab Kings Match Scorecard
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Harpreet Brar’s Game-Changing Spell: Brar’s 3/22, including the wickets of Jaiswal, Suryavanshi, and Parag, was the turning point. His composure under pressure earned him the Player of the Match award, which he dedicated to his wife.
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Jaiswal and Suryavanshi’s Powerplay Blitz: RR’s 89/1 in the powerplay was their best ever in IPL history, setting the stage for what seemed like a comfortable chase.
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Wadhera and Singh’s Rescue Act: Nehal Wadhera’s 70 and Shashank Singh’s 59* were instrumental in PBKS recovering from 34/3 to post 219/5.
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Jurel’s Lone Fight: Dhruv Jurel’s 53 was a valiant effort, but the lack of support from the middle order cost RR dearly.
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Jansen’s Clutch Final Over: Marco Jansen’s composure in the last over, dismissing Jurel and restricting RR to 11 runs, sealed the deal for PBKS.
The Rajasthan Royals vs Punjab Kings Match Scorecard: A Detailed Breakdown
Below is the full scorecard for the Rajasthan Royals vs Punjab Kings Match Scorecard, capturing the batting and bowling performances of both teams.
|
Punjab Kings Innings (219/5, 20 overs) |
R |
B |
4s |
6s |
SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Priyansh Arya c Suryavanshi b Deshpande |
19 | 11.5 | 2 | 1 | 165.22 |
|
Prabhsimran Singh (wk) c Samson b Madhwal |
34 | 33.1 | 4 | 1 | 102.71 |
|
Mitchell Owen c Jurel b Parag |
34 | 23 | 3 | 2 | 147.83 |
|
Shreyas Iyer (c) b Deshpande |
30 | 25 | 3 | 0 | 120.00 |
|
Nehal Wadhera c Hetmyer b Maphaka |
70 | 37 | 7 | 3 | 189.19 |
|
Shashank Singh not out |
59* | 30 | 5 | 3 | 196.67 |
|
Azmatullah Omarzai not out |
21* | 9 | 2 | 1 | 233.33 |
|
Extras (b 0, lb 4, w 4, nb 0) |
8 | ||||
|
Total (5 wickets, 20 overs) |
219 |
| Did Not Bat: Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Harpreet Brar (Impact Sub) | | Fall of Wickets: 19/1 (Arya, 11.5), 34/2 (Owen, 23), 34/3 (Singh, 33.1), 101/4 (Iyer, 410.3), 159/5 (Wadhera, 516) |
|
Bowling (RR) |
O |
M |
R |
W |
Econ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Fazalhaq Farooqi |
4 | 0 | 46 | 0 | 11.50 |
|
Kwena Maphaka |
4 | 0 | 48 | 1 | 12.00 |
|
Tushar Deshpande |
4 | 0 | 37 | 2 | 9.25 |
|
Akash Madhwal |
4 | 0 | 38 | 1 | 9.50 |
|
Wanindu Hasaranga |
1 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 20.00 |
|
Riyan Parag |
3 | 0 | 26 | 1 | 8.67 |
|
Rajasthan Royals Innings (209/7, 20 overs) |
R |
B |
4s |
6s |
SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Yashasvi Jaiswal c Iyer b Brar |
50 | 25 | 8 | 2 | 200.00 |
|
Vaibhav Suryavanshi c Bartlett b Brar |
40 | 14.5 | 6 | 2 | 275.86 |
|
Sanju Samson (c, wk) c Wadhera b Omarzai |
2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 66.67 |
|
Riyan Parag c Singh b Brar |
23 | 13 | 1 | 2 | 176.92 |
|
Dhruv Jurel c Owen b Jansen |
53 | 31 | 3 | 4 | 170.97 |
|
Shimron Hetmyer c Iyer b Omarzai |
10 | 16.1 | 1 | 0 | 62.50 |
|
Wanindu Hasaranga c Singh b Jansen |
0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
Shubham Dubey not out |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 |
|
Kwena Maphaka not out |
8 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 266.67 |
|
Extras (b 0, lb 2, w 5, nb 0) |
7 | ||||
|
Total (7 wickets, 20 overs) |
209 |
| Did Not Bat: Tushar Deshpande, Akash Madhwal, Fazalhaq Farooqi | | Fall of Wickets: 76/1 (Suryavanshi, 14.5), 89/2 (Samson, 16.1), 109/3 (Jaiswal, 28.4), 132/4 (Parag, 33.4), 152/5 (Hetmyer, 46.2), 152/6 (Hasaranga, 46.3), 198/7 (Jurel, 59.1) |
|
Bowling (PBKS) |
O |
M |
R |
W |
Econ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Xavier Bartlett |
4 | 0 | 48 | 0 | 12.00 |
|
Arshdeep Singh |
4 | 0 | 46 | 0 | 11.50 |
|
Marco Jansen |
4 | 0 | 47 | 2 | 11.75 |
|
Azmatullah Omarzai |
4 | 0 | 44 | 2 | 11.00 |
|
Harpreet Brar |
4 | 0 | 22 | 3 | 5.50 |
Source: Adapted from ESPNcricinfo and The Indian Express
Post-Match Reflections
Punjab Kings’ victory propelled them to second place on the points table, level with Royal Challengers Bengaluru at 17 points but ahead on net run rate. This win was a significant step toward securing a playoff spot, a milestone PBKS hadn’t achieved since 2014. Harpreet Brar’s exceptional bowling and the batting heroics of Wadhera and Singh were the highlights of their performance.
For Rajasthan Royals, the loss was another chapter in a disappointing season. Despite the explosive start by Jaiswal and Suryavanshi, their middle order’s inability to capitalize cost them dearly. Sanju Samson, in the post-match presentation, lamented the team’s failure to build on the powerplay momentum, pointing to the middle order’s struggles as a recurring issue.
What’s Next for Rajasthan Royals vs Punjab Kings Match Scorecard Both Teams?
Punjab Kings headed back to Jaipur for their next match against Delhi Capitals on May 24, 2025, aiming to solidify their playoff position. Rajasthan Royals, with their season effectively over, traveled to Chennai to face Chennai Super Kings on May 20, 2025, hoping to end their campaign with a win.
Why This Rajasthan Royals vs Punjab Kings Match Scorecard Mattered
This game was a microcosm of the IPL’s unpredictability. Punjab Kings showcased resilience, bouncing back from early setbacks to post a formidable total and defend it with smart bowling. Rajasthan Royals, despite their elimination, showed flashes of brilliance but couldn’t sustain their momentum. The match highlighted the importance of key individual performances, like Brar’s bowling and Jurel’s batting, in determining the outcome of high-stakes T20 games.
For fans, this encounter was a reminder of why the IPL is so beloved: it’s not just about the runs and wickets but the emotions, the comebacks, and the moments that keep you on the edge of your seat. Whether you’re a young fan cheering for your favorite player or an older viewer enjoying the tactical nuances, this match had something for everyone.
Conclusion
The Rajasthan Royals vs Punjab Kings Match Scorecard clash on May 18, 2025, was a thrilling spectacle that showcased the best of T20 cricket. Punjab Kings’ 10-run victory was a testament to their depth and determination, while Rajasthan Royals’ valiant effort fell just short. The scorecard tells the story of a game where momentum swung like a pendulum, with individual brilliance shaping the outcome. As the IPL 2025 season progresses, this match will be remembered as a classic encounter that had fans in Jaipur and beyond glued to their screens.
