Playoffs-chasing PBKS eye continuity after Dharamsala disruption

Rajasthan Royals vs Punjab Kings, IPL 2025

When: May 18 at 3.30 PM

Where: Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur

Head to head: RR 17-12 PBKS.

Injuries/Unavailabilities:

• RR: Jofra Archer has chosen not to return for the season's final two games. A replacement hasn't been named. Sanju Samson is set to return after recovering from injury.
• PBKS: Marcus Stoinis, Aaron Hardie and Josh Inglis haven't joined back. They will be unavailable for this fixture. Mitch Owen and Xavier Bartlett have joined the squad. Kyle Jamieson has been named as replacement for Lockie Ferguson.

What to expect: It's peak summer time and Jaipur has been scorching hot with temperatures in the 40s. This being an afternoon game means that the heat will be a factor. The surface has generally been good to bat on this season with the bowlers also getting some help at times. Expect more of the same.

Probable XIs:

• RR: Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson(c), Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel(wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Shubham Dubey, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Akash Madhwal, Kumar Kartikeya, Fazalhaq Farooqi/Kwena Maphaka.
• **PBKS:**Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Priyansh Arya, Mitch Owen, Shreyas Iyer (c), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Suryansh Shedge, Azmatullah Omarzai, Marco Jansen, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Xavier Bartlett.

Key Stats:

• Arshdeep Singh is tied with Khaleel Ahmed for the most wickets in the first three overs of an innings in this season – 7. But Sanju Samson has a formidable record against Punjab's pace ace. The RR skipper has hit at a SR of 188.09 and has been dismissed only once by Arshdeep in the IPL.
• RR have been the worst fast bowling side in terms of averages in IPL 2025, and the second-most expensive after LSG. Those numbers will look even poorer excluding Archer's exploits.
• PBKS have been hitting at 10.25 in the PowerPlay – second only to RR themselves – and Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya will hope to lay down an early marker in the clash.
• RR have failed to take a PowerPlay wicket in 5 of their 12 matches so far.
• Yashasvi Jaiswal has averaged 70.5 in RR's wins this year and only 35.12 in defeats, underscoring his importance to the team's fortunes.

Quotes:

"I think we'll go in with a pretty similar structure, even if there's some different players that are in those roles, the way we're going to play is going to be very similar." – James Hopes