Jaipur, May 18 (UNI) Punjab Kings staged a remarkable recovery from an early top-order collapse to post a challenging total of 210, and then held their nerve in a tense finish to edge out Rajasthan Royals by 10 runs in a thrilling IPL encounter at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Sunday.
Punjab’s innings looked doomed early on, with the top three, Priyansh Arya, Mitchell Owen, and Prabhsimran Singh, back in the pavilion inside the powerplay for just 34 runs. Fazalhaq Farooqi and Tushar Deshpande struck early, while Kwena Maphaka chipped in with Mitchell Owen’s wicket, leaving PBKS in dire straits.
Rescue came through Nehal Wadhera, who played a fluent 70 off 37 balls, dominating the spinners with elegant lofts and powerful pulls, including a signature six off Akash Madhwal. Shreyas Iyer (30 off 25) helped steady the innings before falling to Yashasvi Jaiswal’s sharp catching off Riyan Parag.
Then came a sensational late assault from Shashank Singh, whose 59 off just 30 balls, featuring audacious scoops and towering sixes—an 83-meter strike off Deshpande among them, lifted Punjab to a formidable 209 for 7. Azmatullah Omarzai’s quickfire 21 provided valuable support in the death overs.
Chasing 210, Rajasthan were powered by a blistering half-century from Yashasvi Jaiswal (50 off 25) and an aggressive 40 off 15 balls by debutant Vaibhav Suryavanshi. The openers amassed a 76-run stand inside five overs, laying a strong platform.
However, Punjab’s bowlers fought back fiercely. Harpreet Brar’s three wickets, including key dismissals of Jaiswal and Suryavanshi, checked Rajasthan's momentum. Captain Sanju Samson (20) and Shimron Hetmyer (11) made useful contributions, but the chase was kept tense by crucial wickets falling at vital moments.
Dhruv Jurel’s calm 53 off 31 balls anchored the middle order, steering Rajasthan close to the target. But the decisive moment came in the final over when Marco Jansen delivered a breathtaking double strike, removing Jurel and Hasaranga off consecutive balls, the latter caught behind attempting an aggressive stroke.
Needing 10 runs from two balls, Rajasthan's Kwena Maphaka smashed back-to-back fours, but it wasn’t enough to overhaul Punjab’s total.
Jansen finished with impressive figures of 2 for 41, while Brar’s disciplined spell of 3 for 22 was vital in restricting Rajasthan. Extras accounted for seven wides in Rajasthan’s innings.
The victory keeps Punjab firmly in the playoff hunt with 17 points, thanks to a display of grit and firepower under pressure, while Rajasthan's valiant chase fell just short despite their strong batting efforts.
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