Punjab Kings defeat Rajasthan Royals by 10 runs in IPL thriller

The win was powered by brilliant half-centuries from Nehal Wadhera (70 off 37 balls) and Shashank Singh (59* off 30 balls), along with a match-winning performance from Harpreet Brar, who claimed three wickets to turn the tide in PBKS’ favour. This crucial victory puts Punjab Kings on the brink of playoff qualification.

PBKS skipper Shreyas Iyer won the toss and opted to bat first against Rajasthan Royals' captain Sanju Samson, who made a comeback after recovering from injury. RR also saw the franchise debut of young Kwena Maphaka, while Mitchell Owen made his IPL debut for PBKS.

The PBKS innings got off to a shaky start. Openers Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh, who’ve been in good form, were put under pressure early. Arya was dropped on the second ball of the second over by Farooqi but was dismissed the very next ball by Tushar. The surprise came when Mitchell Owen, making his IPL debut, was dismissed for a duck after a brilliant catch by Samson.

In the next over, Tushar struck again with a DRS review that saw Prabhsimran depart for 21 (10). At 34/3 inside 4 overs, the Kings were in serious trouble.

However, Nehal Wadhera had other plans. Alongside captain Shreyas Iyer, he rebuilt the innings with a solid 67-run partnership from just 44 balls. Iyer made a valuable 30 from 25 balls before being dismissed by Riyan Parag.

Wadhera, meanwhile, was in sublime touch. His fifty came off just 25 balls, and he finished with a dazzling 70 off 37, including five boundaries and as many sixes, his highest-ever score in the IPL. This knock came at an excellent strike rate of 189, which kept PBKS in the hunt.

At 159/5 in the 16th over, PBKS still had the finishing overs to capitalise on. Enter Shashank Singh and Azmatullah Omarzai, who added 60 runs off the last four overs. Shashank’s unbroken 59* off 30 balls and Azmatullah’s 21* (9), guided the Kings to a daunting total of 219/5 in their allotted 20 overs.

Chasing 220, Rajasthan Royals needed a solid start. And they got one, thanks to a blistering opening stand between Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Suryavanshi. Jaiswal smacked Arshdeep Singh for 22 runs in the first over, while the young Vaibhav, all of 14 years old, stunned Marco Jansen with 17 runs in the next. The two crossed 50 in just 2.5 overs, the fastest ever by any team in IPL 2025.

Just as the Royals seemed to be racing ahead, PBKS brought in spinner Harpreet Brar, who made an immediate impact, dismissing Vaibhav for a quickfire 40 off 14 balls. RR finished the powerplay with 89/1 - their highest-ever in IPL history.

Jaiswal continued his onslaught, reaching a rapid 50 off 24 balls, but once again, it was Brar who struck, removing the young star. RR’s hopes were dashed further when Azmatullah Omarzai dismissed skipper Sanju Samson, leaving RR at 119/3 in the 11th over.

Brar once again came into the attack and removed Riyan Parag, giving PBKS a much-needed breakthrough. The match was now in the balance, with RR needing 55 runs from the final 24 balls. Dhruv Jurel did his best to bring RR back into contention, scoring 53 off 31 balls. However, Jurel was dismissed in the final over by Marco Jansen, who was defending 22 runs. Jansen claimed two wickets in the over, sealing the game for PBKS.

Punjab Kings now have 17 points from 12 matches, and with this victory, they are almost guaranteed a playoff spot. The team will qualify officially if Gujarat Titans defeat Delhi Capitals in the second match of the night. The win gives them a real shot at the top four, and they’ll be hoping for a smooth finish to the league phase.

(With inputs from IPL website)