Punjab Kings (PBKS) has moved one step closer to the IPL 2025 playoff qualification with their 10-run win over Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Sunday. Needing 22 runs to win from the last over, RR scored just two runs from the first couple of balls. This meant that RR needed 20 runs from four overs with Marco Jansen bowling to well-set Dhruv Jurel.
The South African left-arm seamer bowled a wide ball outside the off-stump and Mitchell Owen took an easy catch. PBKS coach Ricky Ponting was seen celebrating wildly as the win was confirmed. The two points also took Punjab to joint top of the table with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, as both sides have 17 points from 12 games each.
Shashank Singh led the side well in the second half of the game after Shreyas Iyer went off the field due to an injury to his finger. At one stage, the home team were scoring at well over 11 runs per over. Punjab bowlers, though, pulled things back in favour of their side to win the game.
Punjab Kings had posted a massive 219 runs on the board thanks to 70 by Nehal Wadhera and 59 not out by Shashank Singh. Tushar Deshpande was the best bowler for RR with 2/37 from his four overs. The 30-year-old had earlier dismissed Priyansh Arya for nine and Prabhsimran Singh for 21.
Rajasthan Royals fumble yet another chase
Opening batters Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Suryavanshi gave the home a blazing start as the pair added 76 runs inside five overs. Harpreet Brar was the difference maker with the ball as he picked three wickets for 22 runs from four overs. Brar got the wickets of Suryavanshi for 40 and Riyan Parag for 13. The biggest wicket for the spinner was that of Jaiswal, who scored 50 off 25 balls with nine fours and a six.
Dhruv Jurel kept the home side in the chase with 53 off 31 balls with three boundaries and four huge sixes. Sanju Samson, playing his first game for over a month, was out for 20, while Parag was out after scoring 13. Shimron Hetmyer continued his poor IPL 2025 form as he was out for 11 runs from 12 balls.
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