IPL 2025: Nehal, Harpreet shine as Punjab inch closer to playoffs with win over Rajasthan

Jaipur, May 18 (IANS) Nehal Wadhera's 70 coupled with Harpreet Brar's 3-22 helped Punjab Kings to edge out Rajasthan Royals by 10 runs in a high-scoring IPL 2025 clash at Sawai Mansingh Stadium here on Sunday.

With the win, Punjab have solidified their hopes of qualifying for the playoffs with 17 points in 12 games to occupy second spot in the points table, only behind Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

Chasing 220, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Suryavanshi gave them a flying start with the former hitting four boundaries and a six off Arshdeep Singh's first over of the innings to amass 22 from it. Suryavanshi also took the same approach and struck two sixes and a four to make 17 off Marco Jansen's over.

Xavier Bartlett was the third bowler to face the brunt of the Rajasthan duo's power-hitting as Jaiswal hammered him for three fours to complete the team's fifty in just 17 balls.

Ashdeep's second over didn't bring any respite for the visitors and the 14-year-old took him to cleaners with two maximums after a four on the first ball of the over.

With runs coming from both ends, Shreyas Iyer brought left-arm spinner Harpreet Brar into the attack and the move paid off. Brar got the better of Suryavanshi, who smashed two fours off him, on the penultimate ball of the over. He played a knock of 40 in 15 balls, including four sixes and as many fours.

Rajasthan captain Sanju Samson joined Jaiswal in the middle and kept the momentum going for the home team. Rajasthan were 89/1 after the end of the powerplay, their highest this season.

Iyer brought spinners from both ends after the end of field restrictions with Yuzvendra Chahal joining Brar into the attack. Samson hit Chahal for a six over long-on in his first over of the match.

In the next over, Brar dismissed Jaiswal for a 25-ball 50, including nine fours and a six, to give another breakthrough for the team.

Chahal, from the other end, just leaked four runs in his next over to build the pressure on Samson and Riyan Parag. Brar capitalised on the situation and bagged Samson for 20 to reduce Rajasthan to 114/3 after 10.2 overs.

Parag and Dhruv Jurel then had a brief 30-run partnership for the fourth wicket before Brar broke the stand with the dismissal of the former in the 14th over to grab his third scalp of the match.

Jurel had another brief stand with Shimron Hetmyer in pursuit of the mighty target set by the opponents. Hetmyer looked out of touch and was only able to score 11 runs before being sent to the pavilion by Bartlett.

Meanwhile, Jurel completed his half-century in 28 balls in the penultimate over of the innings.

With 22 needed off the last six balls, Jurel departed after scoring 53 with the help of four sixes and three fours as Rajasthan fell 10 runs short of the target.

For Punjab Kings, Brar bagged three wickets while Jansen and Omarzai snared two scalps each.

Earlier, blistering half-centuries from Wadhera and Shashank Singh powered Punjab Kings to 219/5 in 20 overs.

Opting to bat first, Punjab Kings openers Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh opened in attacking fashion with the Delhi batter getting a boundary on the first ball of the match. Prabhsimran too found a boundary of Fazalhaq Farooqi's opening over to make 11 from it.

However, Rajasthan struck back with Tushar Deshpande picking Arya (9) in the second over of the match. He was caught by Shimron Hetmyer, a ball after he was dropped by Farooqi.

Prabhsimran had the most of Kwena Maphaka's over as the opener smashed him for two fours and a six before the pacer bagged IPL debutant Mitchell Owen on a duck.

Punjab suffered another blow when Deshpande dismissed Prabhsimran in the next over to bring them three down inside the powerplay. Prabhsimran played a knock of 21 in 10 balls including three fours and a six.

Captain Shreyas Iyer, who came in at No. 5, and Nehal Wadhera made sure that the side didn't lose another wicket in the powerplay while maintaining the flow of runs. Punjab Kings were 58/3 after the end of the powerplay.

The duo kept the runs flowing from both ends with Wadhera taking the attacking approach in the middle overs especially against Wanindu Hasaranga as he struck him for two fours and a six in consecutive overs.

Meanwhile, Iyer carried the momentum and hit Akash Madhwal for two fours in the ninth over to bring up the 50-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Punjab Kings were 97/3 at the halfway mark.

Iyer hit Riyan Parag for a four on long-on to take the side past the 100-run mark in the 11th over. On the next ball. Parag dismissed the Punjab captain for a 25-ball 30 when he mistimed the shot, only to be caught by Yashasvi Jaiswal.

Shashank Singh joined Wadhera in the middle as Punjab continued their assault in Jaipur. The former sent Hasaranga over deep mid-wicket for half-a-dozen for another maximum. In the same over, he was dropped by the Sri Lankan on a caught and bowled chance.

Wadhera completed his second half-century of the season with a boundary off Madhwal to reach the milestone in 25 balls. He struck the pacer for a six over deep square-leg on the very next ball.

Shashank and Wadhera also stitched a 50-run stand in no time, with the former hitting Madhwal for a four in the 16th over. Wadhera also hit the pacer for a six in the same over before being dismissed on the final ball. Wadhera played a knock of 70 runs studded with five sixes and as many fours. Punjab Kings were 159/5 after 16 overs.

Azmatullah Omarzai and Shashank took the responsibility of taking the side to a massive total in the death overs. Shashank completed his half-century in 27 balls in the final over of the innings.

The duo added 60 runs off 24 balls to make the most of the last four overs of the innings. Shashank remained unbeaten on 30-ball 59 laced with three sixes and five fours while Omarzai struck nine-ball 21, including a six and three fours.

For Rajasthan, Deshpande returned with the figures of 2-37 while Parag, Maphaka and Madhwal claimed one scalp each.

Brief scores: Punjab Kings 219/5 in 20 overs (Nehal Wadhera 70, Shashank Singh 59 not out; Tushar Deshpande 2-37) beat Rajasthan Royals 209/7 in 20 overs (Yashasvi Jaiswal 50, Dhruv Jurel 53, Vaibhav Suryavanshi 40; Harpreet Brar 3-22) by 10 runs.

--IANS

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