PBKS vs RR IPL 2025 Match 18 Highlights: Archer and Jaiswal set up the win for RR

Punjab Kings vs Rajasthan Royals IPL 2025 Match 18: Man of the Match

Jofra Archer was named the man of the match for his splendid bowling performance. The English pacer picked up three wickets including one off the first ball of the innings. In the first over itself, Archer dismissed Shreyas Iyer. The right-arm pacer bowled with great speeds throughout the match and conceded only 25 runs in his four overs.

Punjab Kings vs Rajasthan Royals IPL 2025 Match 18: Top Performers

Yashasvi Jaiswal - 67 (45)
 

Yashasvi Jaiswal finally returned to form in the 18th season of the IPL. The left-handed batter struck his first fifty of the season. He started the knock pretty aggressively even though he was not rewarded in the initial stage. Jaiswal stuck with his positive intent and was finally rewarded. He scored 67 runs in 45 balls smashing three fours and five sixes. Rajasthan Royals would be elated with Jaiswal returning to form as it would greatly bolster their batting unit.

Jofra Archer - 3/25
 

Jofra Archer continued with his great form from the previous game. From the very first ball, the English pacer was right on the money. He uprooted the stumps on the first ball of the second innings to send Priyansh Arya packing for a golden duck. In the same over itself, Archer bowled Shreyas Iyer as well. It was the first dismissal for the PBKS skipper in this season. He then picked up his third wicket in his last over dismissing Arshdeep Singh in the final over of the match. 

Sandeep Sharma - 2/21
 

Sandeep Sharma created a huge impact in the match as well. After a scintillating opening burst by Jofra Archer, the Indian pacer followed up beautifully. The right-arm pacer is definitely not as quick as Archer but can be a more than useful bowler in all phases of the game. In his first over, Sandeep dismissed Marcus Stoinis before coming back for his second spell with the older ball. He dismissed Suryansh Shegde on the first ball of his second spell. 

Riyan Parag - 43* (25)
 

Riyan Parag’s knock can be divided into two parts. He struggled initially and was batting around a run-a-ball rate for the majority of his innings. However, once he took off, he made up for his slow start. Parag remained unbeaten till the end and scored 43 runs in only 25 balls. His knock consisted of three fours and sixes each. 

Lockie Ferguson - 2/37
 

Lockie Ferguson was the lone warrior for Punjab Kings with the ball in hand in the first innings. The Kiwi pacer picked up two wickets while giving away only 37 runs in his four overs. He picked up both the RR opening batters but did not receive much support from the opposite end. 

Punjab Kings vs Rajasthan Royals IPL 2025 Match 18: 1st Innings Summary
 

Openers for the Rajasthan Royals finally came to the party. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sanju Samson shared an 89-run stand for the opening wicket. Jaiswal top-scored for the visitors scoring 67 runs in only 45 balls. It was the first half-century for the young left-handed batter in the season. Riyan Parag who led the Royals in the first three games showed great signs of maturity as well. After struggling to get going for the initial stages of his innings, Riyan accelerated brilliantly in the end to score 43 runs in 25 and remained unbeaten.

For PBKS, it was a disappointing night for the bowlers. Even after winning the toss, the hosts could not make the best use of the advantage. Barring Lockie Ferguson, the PBKS bowlers looked off-colour. It did not help that the fielding was pretty poor from the hosts as well. 

Punjab Kings vs Rajasthan Royals IPL 2025 Match 18: 2nd Innings Summary
 

It was almost a no-contest in the second innings. Jofra Archer rattled the stumps on the first ball of the second innings. He did not look back after that. In the same over, the English pacer got the better of Shreyas Iyer and cleaned his stumps up as well. He was greatly supported by Sandeep Sharma as well. The Indian pacer picked up two wickets in his four overs while going for only 21 runs. 
 

For Punjab Kings, Nehal Wadhera was the lone warrior with the bat in hand. It was Lockie Ferguson in the first innings and Wadhera in the second innings for the hosts. Both these players did not receive much support from the rest of the team.