On a searing May afternoon in Jaipur, Rajasthan Royals’ batting melted away when confronted by a stern 220-run goal handy Punjab Kings a 10-run victory at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Sunday (May 18, 2025).
Dhruv Jurel 53 (31b, 3×4, 4×6) stood until the ultimate over however couldn’t take RR over the road with 22 wanted off the twentieth. Arshdeep Singh, who had conceded 52 in his first three overs, made amends by permitting solely eight within the nineteenth over.
Minor niggle
Marco Jansen picked up two wickets within the closing over to settle the competition. PBKS would take coronary heart in having managed the defence within the absence of captain Shreyas Iyer, who was subbed off attributable to a minor niggle. RR had the competition firmly in its grip when it had wiped off 89 runs contained in the PowerPlay. Yashasvi Jaiswal didn’t hold round for sighters, smashing the primary supply over midwicket. He collected 22 runs off Arshdeep’s opening over.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi stayed true to his flamboyance and endured with clearing his entrance leg to heave throughout the road. PBKS bowlers selecting the slot solely made it simpler for the teenage prodigy.
Left-arm orthodox Harpreet Brar (three for 22) defied the fashionable conference and emerged as an unlikely hero as he nabbed the left-handed openers. Harpreet stepped up as soon as once more when he castled Riyan Parag to thwart a comeback stand brewing between Parag and Jurel.
That PBKS had sufficient to play with was right down to Nehal Wadhera 70 (37b, 5×4, 5×6) and Shashank Singh who turned the screws round RR bowlers regardless of a jittery begin.
Caution was not on the playing cards for Wadhera, who walked in at 34 for two, as he pocketed his first boundary off Tushar Deshpande by slashing outdoors off.
His finest was reserved for the tweakers, and inserting leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga didn’t assist RR’s trigger. Wadhera flaunted his on-side vary in opposition to the Sri Lankan, piercing the hole between deep midwicket and deep fine-leg twice in a single over.
He hooked Akash Madhwal behind sq. to convey up his half-century in 25 deliveries.
Shashank took over as soon as Wadhera fell and his unbeaten 30-ball 59 was instrumental in PBKS securing 72 runs off the ultimate 5 overs. This proved invaluable in the long run.
Published – May 18, 2025 05:31 pm IST
