‘You’ve got to cash in’ – Firstpost

Rajasthan Royals bounced back in the
IPL 2025 season with a commanding 50-run victory over Punjab Kings at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur on Saturday. After being put in to bat, RR posted an imposing 205/4 on the back of Yashasvi Jaiswal’s explosive 67 off 45 balls and Riyan Parag’s unbeaten 43 off just 25.

In reply, Punjab Kings crumbled under scoreboard pressure, managing just 155/9 in their 20 overs. Jofra Archer led the bowling charge with a fiery spell of 3/25, while Sandeep Sharma and Maheesh Theekshana chipped in with two wickets each. Despite a fighting 62 from Nehal Wadhera, Punjab never looked in control after losing early wickets in the powerplay.

Samson on Archer-Sandeep pairing

Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson was all praise for his bowlers, particularly the pairing of Jofra Archer and Sandeep Sharma.

“That is a very deadly combo – one guy bowling around 150 and another bowling around 115,” Samson joked before being reminded Sandeep clocked 130kph this match. “I think we should cut a cake on that maybe,” he laughed.

“Archer, we all love it when he bowls those quick overs. And Sandy has been doing it for me for the past few seasons – one of the best guys in India bowling in the powerplay and death.”

Samson also opened up on the team’s strategy: “We took some time to understand the right batting order, the right entry points. We have found a good rhythm and good patterns now. The result took care of itself.”

Archer’s fiery spell floors Punjab Kings

Jofra Archer reminded everyone why he remains one of the most lethal bowlers in world cricket with a sensational spell that set up Rajasthan Royals’ dominant 50-run win over Punjab Kings. The England pacer was deservedly named Player of the Match.

“Beginning of the tournament, games like that happen. Most importantly, happy to contribute to the team now,” Archer said post-match. “When there are days like this, you’ve got to make sure you cash in. Enjoy the good ones, take the bad ones in your stride.”

Shreyas Iyer admits execution failure

Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer admitted his team fell short with both bat and ball. “We thought we would be chasing 180-185 – that would’ve been a good total. But we gave away a few extra runs and didn’t execute our plans.”

He dismissed dew as a factor and called for introspection. “We need to go back to the drawing board. In batting, we lost back-to-back wickets and didn’t build partnerships. It’s not easy for a new batter to get going.”

Despite the loss, Iyer hailed Nehal Wadhera’s fighting 62. “Phenomenal batting under pressure. He analysed well and picked the right balls to attack.”