The 59th match of IPL 2025 between Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) will be played at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Sunday at 3:30 PM.
Sports News: Punjab Kings will aim for another b performance on Sunday against Rajasthan Royals to solidify their playoff chances. While the Royals possess talented players, their performance this season has been subpar. Returning to the Sawai Mansingh Stadium after a week-long break, Shreyas Iyer's team will look to put behind the cancellation of their match against Delhi Capitals on May 8th in Dharamshala due to the India-Pakistan clash.
What will the Sawai Mansingh Stadium pitch be like?
Jaipur's pitch has always been conducive to spin bowlers, especially during the middle overs. This is likely to be the case again. The pitch will be slow and favour spinners. However, some matches in Jaipur this season have also offered good batting wickets. Particularly in afternoon matches, the pitch will be slow initially, but as the evening progresses, it will become slightly better and faster. The increased skidding of the ball under lights will ease batting conditions.
This means spinners could be effective in the first 6-8 overs, but batsmen might dominate in the powerplay and towards the end of the innings. Rajasthan, who have had a mixed season, will look to their experienced players to exploit the pitch effectively. Punjab Kings, on the other hand, with their b team, will aim for a b start and build pressure on the opposition.
A look at Jaipur pitch's IPL record
- Total Matches: 61
- Wins batting first: 22
- Wins batting second: 39
- Highest score: 217 (Sunrisers Hyderabad)
- Lowest score: 59 (Rajasthan Royals)
- Highest individual score: Virat Kohli (113*)
- Best bowling figures: Sohail Tanvir (6/14)
Weather conditions and match prospects
The temperature in Jaipur is expected to be around 42°C on Sunday, which could lead to fatigue and heat stress for the players during the afternoon match. The temperature is likely to drop to 31°C in the evening. The weather is expected to be clear, with no interruption due to rain. Therefore, the match is expected to conclude with full enthusiasm and without any disruptions.
Rajasthan Royals vs. Punjab Kings: Head-to-head record
Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings have faced each other 29 times in the IPL. Rajasthan has won 17 matches, while Punjab has won 12, giving Rajasthan a slight edge. However, Punjab Kings have performed better this season, securing 15 points from 11 matches and sitting in third place.
On the other hand, Rajasthan Royals have had a mediocre season, but after a week-long break, the team is refocusing on their game. Under Shreyas Iyer's captaincy, Rajasthan is expected to play much better.
RR vs PBKS Probable Playing XI
Rajasthan- Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Ryan Parag (Captain), Kunal Singh Rathore, Dhruv Jurel (Wicketkeeper), Shimron Hetmyer, Wanindu Hasaranga, Quinton de Kock, Mahesh Theekshana, Yudveer Singh Charak and Akash Madhwal.
Punjab: Prabhsimran Singh (Wicketkeeper), Priyansh Arya, Mitchell Owen, Shreyas Iyer (Captain), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Kyle Jamieson, Xavier Bartlett, Azmatullah Omarzai, Yuzvendra Chahal and Arshdeep Singh.
