Match prediction for Punjab Kings vs Rajasthan Royals Match 18 in Mullanpur.
Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) will be up against each other in Match No.18 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 on Saturday, April 5. The two teams will lock horns at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, with the action set to begin at 7:30 PM IST.
Check out our analysis for the PBKS vs RR match with the top betting tips and predictions.
Here are some of the best bets for this Punjab Kings vs Rajasthan Royals IPL 2025 match.
Shreyas Iyer has been in sensational form with the bat. He smashed an unbeaten 97 off 42 in the opening game and followed it up with another unbeaten fifty against LSG. Given the kind of touch he is in, you can back Shreyas to come good.
Both these teams have some good hitters in their line-up. Punjab Kings have slammed 27 sixes in two games while Rajasthan Royals have hit 34 in three games. With players showing great intent, this seems like a safe bet.
Sanju Samson started the season well with 66 off 37 against Sunrisers Hyderabad. He has scored 33 runs in the last two innings but remains a key player. Samson has an average of 34.5 and a strike rate of 151 in the IPL since 2022.
Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur, isn’t particularly a great venue for batting. The pitches here can be on the slower side. In the last five games hosted here, the average first innings score reads 167. This match will have a fresh pitch, so you can expect a high-scoring game.
ALSO READ:
These two teams have competed against each other in 28 IPL matches. Rajasthan Royals have won 16 matches, whereas Punjab Kings have claimed 11 wins. In the last five encounters, RR lead the scoreline by 3-2.
The Shreyas Iyer-led Punjab Kings have had an incredible start to the IPL 2025, winning two out of two games. In their previous outing, they hammered Lucknow Super Giants by eight wickets. Arshdeep Singh bagged three wickets as they restricted the opponents to 171 on a good batting pitch.
Prabhsimran Singh starred in the run-chase with 69 off 34 deliveries while the skipper made an unbeaten 52 off 30. Nehal Wadhera also impressed with 43 not out in 25, helping his team mow down the target with 22 balls to spare.
Possible XII: Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Priyansh Arya, Shreyas Iyer (c), Nehal Wadhera, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Shashank Singh, Marco Jansen, Lockie Ferguson, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Vijaykumar Vyshak.
Rajasthan Royals lost the first two games of the season but finally opened their account with a six-run victory over Chennai Super Kings. Nitish Rana put on an absolute show in Guwahati, scoring 81 off 36 deliveries. Riyan Parag also made 37 off 28 to help the team reach 182 in 20 overs.
Wanindu Hasaranga then picked four for 35, with Jofra Archer snaring one for 13 in three overs. Their decision not to bring on Archer when they needed to defend 39 in two overs could have backfired, but Sandeep Sharma held his nerves in the final over. Sanju Samson will be leading the side from this game.
Possible XII: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson (c), Nitish Rana, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Shubham Dubey, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Jofra Archer, Sandeep Sharma, Tushar Deshpande.
Check out the details of where to watch the Punjab Kings vs Rajasthan Royals IPL 2025 match.
Three out of five games hosted at this venue were won by the chasing side. Dew can potentially be a factor, making batting second a better option. So expect the team winning the toss to bowl first.
Take a look at the weather forecast, key matchup, and favourites to get a better idea of the match.
The forecast suggests Mullanpur is likely to witness clear weather on Saturday evening. With no cloud cover, rain should not be a concern. The humidity levels are expected to be around 30%, while wind gusts travel at up to 20 kmph. As for the temperature, expect it to hover around 23 degrees Celsius.
The bookmakers have placed Punjab Kings as favourites heading into this match. Coming off back-to-back wins, they have a 57% chance of winning.
Sanju Samson has a poor record against Yuzvendra Chahal in the IPL. He has managed to score only 52 runs off 51 deliveries against the leg-spinner while getting dismissed five times. If Samson survives the powerplay, this battle in the middle overs will be one to watch out for.
For more updates, follow CricXtasy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Telegram, and YouTube.
