Sanju Samson marked his return as Rajasthan Royals’ captain in emphatic style, steering his side to a commanding 50-run win over the previously unbeaten Punjab Kings in their IPL 2025 encounter held in Chandigarh. After missing the first three games due to a finger injury, Samson received the all-clear from the National Cricket Academy earlier this week and wasted no time in making his presence felt. Rajasthan, asked to bat first, posted a strong 205/4 on the board. The bowling unit then backed it up by dismantling Punjab’s batting lineup, restricting them to just 155/9 — their lowest total this season.
Punjab Kings never recovered from their early collapse, losing four top-order wickets within five overs. Despite a fighting partnership of 88 runs between Glenn Maxwell and Nehal Wadhera, hopes of a successful chase faded once both were dismissed in back-to-back overs. Theekshana removed Maxwell in the 14th over, and Hasaranga followed up by taking Wadhera’s wicket in the 15th. From there, Punjab’s innings unraveled as the lower order contributed little, allowing RR to seal a resounding win. Jofra Archer, Sandeep Sharma, and Theekshana each took two wickets to lead the Royals’ bowling effort.
Earlier, Rajasthan’s batting was anchored by Yashaswi Jaiswal, who struck a fluent 67, and Sanju Samson, who added 38 before being dismissed by Lockie Ferguson. Although visibly frustrated after getting out, Samson had laid the foundation for the innings. Riyan Parag’s steady unbeaten 45, supported by useful cameos from Nitish Rana, Shimron Hetmyer, and Dhruv Jurel (13 off 5), helped the Royals cross the 200-run mark. The solid batting and a clinical bowling performance gave Rajasthan a much-needed boost after a slow start to their IPL campaign.
