Punjab Kings Secure Victory Against Rajasthan Royals with Stellar Performances

In a thrilling IPL encounter, Punjab Kings emerged victorious against Rajasthan Royals, thanks to stellar performances from Harpreet Brar and key batsmen. Captain Shreyas Iyer praised Brar's consistency and mindset, which played a crucial role in the team's success. With this win, PBKS solidifies its position in the playoff race, while RR struggles to find form. Discover the highlights of this exciting match and what it means for both teams as the tournament progresses.

By Narendra Chaudhary May 19, 2025, 02:02 IST

Punjab Kings' Impressive Win

Jaipur (Rajasthan) [India] - On May 18, following a successful match against the Rajasthan Royals (RR), Punjab Kings (PBKS) captain Shreyas Iyer praised spinner Harpreet Brar for his outstanding performance. Iyer noted that Brar has shown remarkable consistency in practice and maintained a strong mindset throughout the tournament.

With this victory, PBKS moved closer to playoff qualification, rising to the second position in the points table. Key contributions came from Nehal Wadhera and Shashank Singh, both scoring half-centuries, while Harpreet Brar's impressive three-wicket haul was a highlight of the match.

During the post-match presentation, Iyer emphasized the importance of maintaining positive body language among players. He stated, “I was encouraging everyone to stay positive. It’s easy to feel defeated, but I’m proud of how the team approached the game with confidence.”

He continued, “Brar has been consistent in practice and was eager for this chance. Today, he truly delivered. His mindset has been exceptional throughout. After the break, the team was in high spirits, and we needed that rest. It was the perfect time to regroup and demonstrate our winning mentality, regardless of the circumstances. We learned that spinners can be challenging to score against, but we can turn the game around from any situation.”

Choosing to bat first, PBKS found themselves at 34/3 early on. However, a crucial 67-run partnership between Iyer (30 off 25 balls) and Wadhera (70 off 37 balls) helped stabilize the innings. This was followed by a 58-run collaboration between Wadhera and Singh (59* off 30 balls), which solidified PBKS's position. An explosive partnership between Singh and Azmatullah Omarzai (21* off 3 balls) propelled PBKS to a total of 219/5 in their 20 overs.

Tushar Deshpande was the standout bowler for RR, taking 2 wickets for 37 runs.

In response, RR's young openers Yashasvi Jaiswal (50 off 25 balls) and Vaibhav Suryavanshi (40 off 15 balls) provided a strong start, scoring 76 runs in just 4.5 overs. Despite losing wickets, RR maintained the run rate, with Dhruv Jurel contributing a solid 53 off 31 balls. However, the team fell short, finishing at 209/7, just 11 runs behind PBKS.

Brar was the leading bowler for PBKS with figures of 3/22, while Marco Jansen (2/41) and Omarzai (2/44) also performed well.

Currently, PBKS holds the second spot with eight wins and three losses, totaling 17 points, including one point from a no result. In contrast, RR is positioned ninth with three wins and ten losses, accumulating six points.