For the Royals, it’s now about salvaging pride and disrupting others’ playoff plans. Riyan Parag’s side sits ninth on the table with only three wins from 12 games, officially out of playoff contention.
Their campaign has been a tale of narrow misses, highlighted by a gut-wrenching 1-run defeat to Kolkata Knight Riders, where Parag’s valiant 95 fell just short.
The injury setbacks to Nitish Rana and Sandeep Sharma have further weakened the squad, prompting RR to rope in Lhuan-dre Pretorius and Nandre Burger as replacements.
Punjab Kings, on the other hand, are within touching distance of playoff qualification. Under the calm leadership of Shreyas Iyer, PBKS have emerged as one of the most balanced and consistent outfits this season, securing seven wins in 11 games.
They were gaining momentum before the tournament break, particularly during their commanding display against Delhi Capitals on May 8. Their pace battery has been reinforced with the arrival of Kyle Jamieson, replacing the injured Lockie Ferguson.
RR vs PBKS IPL 2025 Match: Key Players Battles
Yashasvi Jaiswal vs Arshdeep Singh:
Yashasvi Jaiswal has roared back into form in IPL 2025, amassing 473 runs at a fiery strike rate of 154.57. However, his battle against Arshdeep Singh in the powerplay could define Rajasthan Royals’ early momentum.
Arshdeep, known for his disciplined new-ball spells, has managed to keep Jaiswal in check across six previous IPL encounters—dismissing him twice while conceding just 36 runs off 29 balls. With a powerplay economy of 7 and eight wickets to his name in that phase, Arshdeep will once again look to nip out RR’s in-form opener early.
Riyan Parag vs Yuzvendra Chahal:
Riyan Parag has led from the front with the bat this season, tallying 337 runs at a strike rate of 170.58. Particularly dominant against spin—averaging 61 and striking at nearly 160—Parag poses a threat in the middle overs. But his past encounters with Yuzvendra Chahal present an intriguing subplot.
Against the leg-spinner, Parag has managed just eight runs in 15 balls without being dismissed. Given their shared stint at RR in previous seasons, Chahal will be keen to outsmart his former teammate.
Sanju Samson vs Yuzvendra Chahal:
Sanju Samson’s track record against Yuzvendra Chahal makes for worrying reading if you’re an RR fan. The elegant right-hander has fallen five times to Chahal in just 10 IPL innings, managing only 42 runs.
With Samson being a vital cog in the RR middle order, PBKS will target this matchup to potentially trigger a collapse, especially if Chahal is introduced right after the powerplay.
