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Punjab Kings’ home debut in the 2025 IPL season didn’t go as planned. In the 18th fixture of the tournament, they were outclassed by Rajasthan Royals, suffering a heavy 50-run defeat at the Mullanpur stadium.
Despite entering the game unbeaten, PBKS couldn’t keep up with the visitors’ clinical performance. Rajasthan’s all-round show—led by Yashasvi Jaiswal’s aggressive half-century and lethal bowling from Jofra Archer, Sandeep Sharma, and Maheesh Theekshana—ensured a dominating win.
Iyer Reflects on Missed Execution and Lessons Learned
After the match, PBKS skipper Shreyas Iyer offered a candid breakdown of where things went wrong.
“I felt we could have taken it slower and tried to build partnerships, but lots of learning from this game. Today, there was no dew as we anticipated, but I feel we need to go back to the drawing board and see the videos where we weren’t able to execute with our bowling and batting.”
Iyer pointed out the frequent loss of wickets that hampered their chase.
“We lost back-to-back wickets as well, which wasn’t ideal as it isn’t easy for new batters. Nehal was phenomenal under pressure. He took some time and then was able to charge the bowlers, making the most of the situation.”
He also mentioned that early setbacks can often serve as valuable reality checks.
“Need a slight hiccup to wake you up at the start of the tournament. I personally feel this loss will be good, and we will need to go back to the drawing board.”
Rajasthan’s Firepower Too Much to Handle
Opting to bowl first after winning the toss, PBKS couldn’t contain RR’s top order. Yashasvi Jaiswal smashed 67 off 45 balls, while Sanju Samson chipped in with a fluent 38. Together, they added 89 runs for the second wicket.
Riyan Parag played a quickfire 43* off 25 balls, and Shimron Hetmyer’s late surge (20 off 12) pushed Rajasthan to a formidable 205/4.
PBKS’s bowling highlights were few. Lockie Ferguson picked up two wickets, while Arshdeep Singh and Marco Jansen claimed one each.
In reply, PBKS struggled early in the chase. Jofra Archer rattled the top order, reducing them to 43/4. His figures of 3/25 earned him the Player of the Match award.
A promising 88-run partnership between Nehal Wadhera (62 off 41) and Glenn Maxwell (30 off 21) offered some hope. But their dismissals triggered a collapse, and the side eventually limped to 155/9 in 20 overs.
Iyer was realistic in assessing the conditions and what his team aimed for.
“To be honest, I was considering around 180-185. That would be good to chase over here, we weren’t able to execute our plans. I’m glad this blip happened early in the tournament. It was a decent pitch; the ball was holding a bit, and we were not giving them much pace.”
With this loss, PBKS now holds two wins from three matches and sits fourth in the table. Rajasthan Royals, unbeaten in their two games so far, climb steadily up the rankings.
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