IPL2025 : Jaiswal , Jofra fires as Rajasthan Royals jolt high flying Punjab Kings

 

The Rajasthan Royals have made a strong comeback in IPL 2025, securing their second consecutive victory in dominant fashion. In their fourth match of the season, Sanju Samson's team crushed the Punjab Kings by 50 runs at the latter's home ground. This marked Punjab's first defeat of the season. Under the leadership of captain Shreyas Iyer, the Punjab side was playing its first match at home this season, but the return to familiar conditions didn’t prove favorable.

The match took place on Saturday, April 5, at Punjab Kings’ new home ground in Mullanpur. Punjab entered the game in strong form, having won their first two matches convincingly under the new leadership of captain Shreyas Iyer and coach Ricky Ponting. In contrast, Rajasthan had suffered heavy defeats in their opening two games but bounced back with a win in their third match. With both teams aiming to build momentum, this contest promised to be competitive. However, after nearly four hours of play, the result turned out to be one-sided — and in favor of the visitors.

Jaiswal Fires, Riyan Sparks Late Surge

Batting first, Rajasthan Royals got off to an excellent start, thanks to a solid opening stand between skipper Sanju Samson (38) and Yashasvi Jaiswal. The duo put together 89 runs in just 10.2 overs. Jaiswal, who had failed in his previous three outings, finally found his rhythm and struck a fluent 67 — his first half-century of the season. Later, Riyan Parag played a blistering knock, smashing 43 runs off just 25 deliveries to propel Rajasthan past the 200-run mark. A few dropped catches by Punjab further helped Rajasthan’s cause. The Royals posted 205/4 in 20 overs — the highest score recorded at this venue so far. For Punjab, pacer Lockie Ferguson was the most successful bowler with 2 wickets.

Then came Rajasthan’s bowlers, and Jofra Archer led the charge from the very first over. After conceding over 100 runs without a wicket in his first two matches, Archer finally hit form. He bowled opener Priyansh Arya on the very first ball of the innings and then cleaned up skipper Shreyas Iyer on the final delivery of the over — shattering Punjab’s hopes early on. Within no time, Punjab were reduced to 43/4. Glenn Maxwell (30) and Nehal Wadhera (62) stitched together an 88-run partnership to revive some hope, but their dismissals in the 15th and 16th overs respectively put the brakes on the chase. Punjab eventually finished on 155/9 in their 20 overs. Archer ended with 3 wickets, while Sandeep Sharma and Maheesh Theekshana chipped in with two wickets each.