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Peter Green - April 4, 2025
Punjab Kings have played really well in their first two league matches and are now at the top of the points table. They’ve had the best start this season, and it could be one of the best starts in the team’s history.
PBKS will be full of confidence as they get ready to face Rajasthan Royals, who have been struggling since their first match. They were winless until their third game against Chennai Super Kings, which they finally won to break their losing streak.
Punjab Kings vs Rajasthan Royals Head-to-Head
As of April 2024, the Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) have faced each other 26 times in the Indian Premier League (IPL). RR holds a lead with 15 victories, while PBKS has secured 11 wins.
Their inaugural encounter was on April 21, 2008, at Jaipur’s Sawai Mansingh Stadium, where RR triumphed by six wickets. Notably, RR achieved their highest team score against PBKS in 2020, posting 226 runs.
The first recorded match between PBKS and RR at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium took place on April 13, 2024. Rajasthan Royals won that match with three wickets and one ball to spare.
Captain- Shreyas Iyer
Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Suryansh Shedge, Marco Jansen, Lockie Ferguson, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh.
Impact Player- Nehal Wadhera, Vijay Kumar Vyshak
Captain- Sanju Samson
Yashasvi Jaiswal, Nitish Rana, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmayer, Wanindu Hasaranga, Jofra Archer, Sandeep Sharma, Maheesh Theekshana, Tushar Deshpande
Impact Player- Kumar Kartikeya
Shreyas Iyer (PBKS): Unlike previous seasons, Iyer looks more confident and aggressive with the bat this time. He started the season with two unbeaten scores over 50 and is coming into this match after scoring 52 not out off 30 balls against Lucknow Super Giants.
Arshdeep Singh (PBKS): Arshdeep has been the most effective bowler for Punjab so far. He has taken 5 wickets in just two matches, including a 3-wicket haul against Lucknow Super Giants. If he continues this form, he could trouble Rajasthan’s inconsistent batting line-up.
Sanju Samson (RR): Samson is no longer listed as an impact player and is reportedly fully recovered from his injury. Though he hasn’t scored more than 25 runs in the last two games, he’s expected to perform better here, especially with the added responsibility of leading the team.
Sanju Samson is back in the squad and is all set to lead Rajasthan Royals, a motivating factor for the Halla Bol side. However, they are pitted against Punjab Kings, who have an outstanding form at the start of the season. Unlike Rajasthan Royals, PBKS have shown consistency with both bat and ball this season.
Punjab’s current form arguably marks their best start in a decade. They have a balanced squad and a strong batting line-up in which at least three players looks to have the potential to score big runs. On the other side, Rajasthan Royals have an inconsistent batting and bowling line-up. With form, balance, and momentum on their side, PBKS are strong favourites to win this clash
Punjab’s captain has added a lot of confidence to the team, which was missing in previous seasons. He has scored 149 runs in the first two matches and remained not out in both. Given his current form, backing him to score over 27.5 runs is a solid bet.
Arshdeep Singh has picked two and three wickets respectively in his first two matches. Additionally, his maiden five-wicket haul was against Rajasthan Royals in the 2021 season. He has also picked up two wickets against RR in the last season.
