IPL 2025 Match Preview | Punjab Kings eye playoff berth as eliminated Rajasthan Royals play for pride

ByDebayan Sinha,SportsCafe Editor

Last Saturday at 5:08 PM

Punjab Kings look strong this season and will aim to carry forward their momentum from the abandoned game in Dharamshala. The Kings will be eager to dominate and seal a playoff spot, while the Royals, on the other hand, have endured a tough campaign with nine losses and have been eliminated.

‌Following a nine-day break, the IPL resumes as Punjab Kings looking to maintain their strong momentum and assert control. Their opponents, the Rajasthan Royals (RR), are already out of playoff contention but will be eager to sign off with a positive result. That said, the injury-enforced absence of Jofra Archer weakens their bowling attack, particularly against Punjab’s in-form top order. To remain competitive in the contest., RR will likely need to put up a sizeable score on the board.

In terms of the current standings, Punjab Kings occupy third place on the points table, having secured seven wins from ten matches. In contrast, Rajasthan Royals find themselves languishing in ninth, with just three victories and nine defeats to their name.

Skipper Shreyas Iyer has been instrumental in Punjab Kings’ resurgence, guiding the team with confidence as both their batting and bowling units find consistency. Prabhsimran Singh, currently their top run-scorer, has notched up successive fifties, while Priyansh Arya has brought flair to the top order with his fearless stroke play. With the ball, Arshdeep Singh continues to shine, having taken 16 wickets, placing him fourth on the tournament’s wicket-takers list.

As for Rajasthan Royals, Sanju Samson is expected to make his way back into the playing XI, likely slotting in at number three, a position where he’s looked most assured. With 224 runs at an average of 37.33 this season, Samson’s steady form suggests he could play a key role in RR’s batting effort this time around.

Form Guide

RR: L L W L L

PBKS: W W NR L W

RR vs PBKS head-to-head in T20s

Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings have clashed 29 times in T20s, with the Royals holding a slight advantage, having won 17 of those encounters. Punjab have emerged victorious on 12 occasions, while one match ended in a tie. In their most recent showdown earlier this season, Rajasthan secured a commanding 50-run win. Looking at the last five meetings between the two sides, Rajasthan have edged ahead with three wins compared to Punjab’s two.

RR 17-12 PBKS

Pitch and Weather

The pitch at Sawai Mansingh Stadium tends to offer a balanced contest between bat and ball, depending on match-day conditions. Historically, chasing teams have found more success here, winning 39 games compared to 22 wins by teams batting first. The average first-innings score at this venue stands at approximately 164. Weather is unlikely to be a major factor, with only a 5% chance of any interruptions. Temperatures are expected to peak at 41°C during the match, dipping to a low of around 31°C later in the evening.

Team News

Jofra Archer won’t feature again this IPL season due to injury setbacks. On the bright side, Rajasthan Royals can rely on a strong pool of overseas talent, including Shimron Hetmyer, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Kwena Maphaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, and Maheesh Theekshana.

The availability of Josh Inglis, Marcus Stoinis, and Aaron Hardie for the remainder of the tournament is still up in the air for the Punjab Kings. Meanwhile, Mitchell Owen, Azmatullah Omarzai, and Marco Jansen are locked into play until the league stage concludes, with Xavier Bartlett and Kyle Jamieson also confirmed as part of the squad moving forward.

Officials

The match officials for this game include Chris Gaffaney and Abhijeet Bengeri as the on-field umpires, while Parashar Joshi will serve as the fourth official. Jauayraman Madanagopal is tasked with overseeing the video replays as the third umpire. Daniel Manohar will fulfil the role of match referee for this encounter.

Broadcasting Platforms

The Indian Premier League will be digitally streamed on JioHotstar and telecast on the Star Sports network.