IPL 2025: Confident Punjab Kings Aim to Break Home Jinx Against Rajasthan Royals
PBKS vs RR Match Preview – IPL 2025
Date: April 5, 2025 | Venue: Mullanpur
Punjab Kings (PBKS) are flying high after a solid start to their IPL 2025 campaign. With back-to-back away wins under their belt, the team will now look to break the home curse as they return to Mullanpur, where they managed just one win in five games last season.
This time, under the guidance of head coach Ricky Ponting and skipper Shreyas Iyer, PBKS appear far more balanced and in control. While their middle order is packed with power-hitters like Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, and Marco Jansen, the top order has been so dominant that the lower lineup hasn’t even been tested yet.
Rajasthan Royals Face Leadership Shift and Batting Woes
On the other side, Rajasthan Royals (RR) are grappling with inconsistency, both in terms of form and strategy. However, they’ll be buoyed by a recent victory against Chennai Super Kings, powered by a Nitish Rana special. RR will also welcome back Sanju Samson as captain, now cleared to keep wickets after recovering from a finger injury. He replaces Riyan Parag, who had stepped in as interim skipper.
One major concern remains: Yashasvi Jaiswal’s lackluster form. With their top order struggling and middle-order positions under scrutiny, RR need to find their rhythm quickly.
Head-to-Head Thrillers Expected
Matches between PBKS and RR have historically delivered nail-biters, and with both sides eager to build momentum, another close contest could be on the cards.
Current Form
- Punjab Kings: W-W-L
- Rajasthan Royals: W-L-L
Probable Playing XIs – PBKS vs RR
Punjab Kings (PBKS)
- Prabhsimran Singh
- Priyansh Arya
- Shreyas Iyer (c)
- Glenn Maxwell
- Marcus Stoinis
- Shashank Singh
- Suryansh Shedge
- Marco Jansen
- Lockie Ferguson
- Arshdeep Singh
- Yuzvendra Chahal
- Vijaykumar Vyshak / Nehal Wadhera (Impact Sub option)
Rajasthan Royals (RR)
- Yashasvi Jaiswal
- Sanju Samson (c & wk)
- Nitish Rana
- Riyan Parag
- Dhruv Jurel
- Wanindu Hasaranga
- Shimron Hetmyer
- Jofra Archer
- Maheesh Theekshana
- Tushar Deshpande
- Sandeep Sharma
- Shubham Dubey (Impact Sub)
Key Talking Point
Is RR underutilizing Shimron Hetmyer? In the first two matches, Hetmyer came in to bat at No. 7 and No. 8, behind players like Hasaranga and even Impact Subs. His power-hitting ability late in the innings is known, but are the Royals failing to unlock his full potential?
Players to Watc
- Prabhsimran Singh (PBKS): Despite being part of the IPL since 2019, he has only five fifties to his name. His quickfire 69 earlier this week shows promise—can he now deliver with consistency?
- Yashasvi Jaiswal (RR): After a slow start to the season, Jaiswal needs to find his rhythm. His switch from Mumbai to Goa in domestic cricket has raised eyebrows—he’ll be keen to silence critics on the field.
Pitch Report – Mullanpur Conditions
PBKS struggled with the slow surfaces at Mullanpur last season. The bigger boundaries here bring spin into play, and totals above 180 have been rare. In IPL 2024, only two teams managed to post 180+ scores batting first here.
Key stat: Teams batting first and scoring 170 or more have successfully defended the total 8 out of 9 times in T20s at this venue.
Interesting Stats
- Sanju Samson is one win away from becoming RR’s most successful captain, surpassing Shane Warne’s tally of 31 wins.
- Sandeep Sharma has dismissed Shreyas Iyer three times in T20s while maintaining an economy of under 6 RPO against him.
- Yuzvendra Chahal, now with PBKS, has dismissed Samson five times in 11 T20s. Will PBKS use him during the powerplay?
Quotes
“Rolls-Royce just stayed in third gear for most of the day. Didn’t have to go any harder than that.”
— Ricky Ponting on Shreyas Iyer’s match-winning knock
“It was just two games, but it felt very long. Happy.”
— Riyan Parag, after his first win as interim captain
