Rajasthan Royals Face Another Heartbreaking Defeat in IPL Against Punjab Kings

Rajasthan Royals faced yet another disappointing defeat in the IPL, losing to Punjab Kings by 11 runs. Despite a strong start from their openers, the middle-order faltered under pressure, leading to their eighth loss while batting second this season. With only three wins, RR's campaign has been marred by narrow defeats, raising questions about their performance. The match saw PBKS set a challenging target of 219 runs, which RR fell short of despite a valiant effort. Discover the key moments and player performances that defined this match.

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

Rajasthan Royals Struggle Continues

Jaipur (Rajasthan) [India] - On May 18, Rajasthan Royals (RR) faced yet another setback in the Indian Premier League (IPL), suffering a close defeat while chasing against Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Jaipur.

RR's challenges while pursuing targets have been evident this season. The opening duo of Yashasvi Jaiswal and either Sanju Samson or Vaibhav Suryavanshi have often set a solid foundation, but the middle-order has struggled under pressure, leaving the team just short of victory.

This season, RR has batted second in nine matches, managing to secure victory only once, resulting in eight losses. They now share the record for the most defeats while batting second in a season with the now-defunct Pune Warriors India (PWI), who also lost eight times in 2012 and 2013.

RR's recent matches have seen them suffer narrow defeats. Their disappointing streak began against Delhi Capitals, where they needed nine runs in the final over but ended up losing in the Super Over after a tie. Subsequent losses included close calls against Lucknow Super Giants (by two runs), Royal Challengers Bengaluru (by 11 runs), Kolkata Knight Riders (by one run), and now PBKS (by 11 runs).

Key players like Dhruv Jurel (302 runs in 12 innings with two fifties and a strike rate of 150.24), Shimron Hetmyer (227 runs in 12 innings with a fifty and a strike rate of 142.76), Riyan Parag (390 runs in 13 innings with a fifty and a strike rate of 168.24), and Shubham Dubey (106 runs in eight innings with a strike rate of 160.60) have struggled to secure wins for RR.

Currently, RR is positioned ninth in the standings with three wins and ten losses, prompting speculation about how their season might have unfolded had they converted those close matches into victories.

In the match, PBKS opted to bat first and found themselves at 34/3 early on. However, a crucial 67-run partnership between skipper Shreyas Iyer (30 runs off 25 balls) and Nehal Wadhera (70 runs off 37 balls) helped stabilize their innings. A further 58-run partnership between Wadhera and Shashank Singh (59* off 30 balls) solidified PBKS's position, leading them to a total of 219/5 in their 20 overs.

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

During the chase, openers Yashasvi Jaiswal (50 runs off 25 balls) and Vaibhav Suryavanshi (40 runs off 15 balls) provided a strong start, accumulating 76 runs in just 4.5 overs. Despite maintaining the required run rate, RR fell short, finishing at 209/7, 11 runs behind PBKS. Dhruv Jurel contributed significantly with 53 runs off 31 balls.

For PBKS, Harpreet Brar was the leading bowler with figures of 3/22, supported by Marco Jansen (2/41) and Omarzai (2/44).

With eight wins and three losses, PBKS currently holds the second position in the league with 17 points, including one point from a no-result.