PBKS vs RR Match Prediction: Who Will Win Match 18 in Indian Premier League 2025?

PBKS vs RR: Match Preview

Punjab Kings will host Rajasthan Royals in match number 18 of the IPL 2025 season at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium. PBKS are first in the points table with 4 points in 2 matches. RR are ninth in the points table with 2 points in 3 matches. The Shreyas Iyer-led side are coming to this game on the back of a loss against Lucknow Super Giants in their previous game. On the other hand, RR have won against CSK in their previous game at home.

PBKS vs RR Head-to-Head Stats

PBKS vs RR Pitch Report and Weather Conditions

The pitch at Mullanpur Cricket Stadium for the IPL has been a real treat so far! It’s mostly batter-friendly, giving hitters a chance to swing big and pile on the runs. In 2024, we saw some solid scores, with the surface offering good pace and bounce, perfect for those crisp drives and lofty sixes. Bowlers aren’t totally out of it, though; Pacers get a bit of help early on, especially in evening games when dew can spice things up. Spinners? They’ve had their moments, but it’s not a Turner by any means. It should be exciting again in 2025!

The temperature is predicted to hover around 26 degrees Celsius with a humidity of 40%. There are no chances of rain during the game and the sky will remain partly cloudy.

PBKS vs RR: Average first innings score

The average first-inning score at this ground in the IPL is 168. The average first innings score in the last five IPL games has been 151 at this ground. So, it is not that high-scoring ground like the others in India.

PBKS vs RR: Chasing Record

The last five IPL matches at Mullanpur have been a mixed bag. Out of five games, teams batting first snagged two wins, while the chasers took three. Seems like the pitch gives both sides a fair shot.

Punjab vs Rajasthan: Predicted Playing XI

Let's take a look at the predicted playing XI of Punjab Kings and Rajasthan Royals in this game.

Punjab Kings Predicted XI

Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh (WK), Shreyas Iyer (C), Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Suryansh Shedge, Marco Jansen, Lockie Ferguson, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh.

Rajasthan Royals Predicted XI

Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson (C), Nitish Rana, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Wanindu Hasaranga, Jofra Archer, Maheesh Theekshana, Sandeep Sharma, Tushar Deshpande.

Form and Fitness

Punjab Kings' recent form: W-W-L-W-L

Rajasthan Royals' recent form: W-L-L-W-NR

PBKS vs RR Recent form (Last 5 IPL matches)

Punjab Kings

Punjab Kings have started the IPL 2025 season on a good note by winning both their matches. They have managed three wins and lost two matches in the last five IPL games.

Rajasthan Royals

Rajasthan Royals have lost two out of the three games that they have played in IPL 2025 so far. They have 2 wins and two losses from their last five IPL games, with one match yielding no result.

PBKS vs RR: PBKS to win the toss and field first

It is expected that Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer will win the toss and elect to field first to back their strong batting lineup to chase down the target set by Rajasthan Royals. Royals' captain Sanju Samson is also expected to do the same if he wins the toss.

PBKS vs RR: Score Prediction

Here's a structured table for the team's innings performance:

PBKS vs RR Match Prediction: Punjab Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad Players To Perform

Punjab Kings

• Arshdeep Singh

Arshdeep Singh has been a fantastic performer for the Indian team and also for the Punjab Kings in T20 cricket. He has got all the tricks in his armory and is expected to have a major impact in this game on his home ground. Arshdeep scalped 3/43 in his four-over spell in the last game against LSG.

• Prabhsimran Singh

The Punjab Kings opener has emerged as one of the most destructive openers in the IPL in recent matches. He blew away LSG in the previous game with an innings of 69 runs off 34 deliveries. He is expected to have an impact in this game yet again.

Rajasthan Royals

• Nitish Rana

Nitish Rana has been one of the most consistent performers in the IPL for any franchise. He finally found his groove for RR in the previous game against CSK with an incredible innings of 81 runs off 36 deliveries. He is expected to shine against PBKS as well.

• Wanindu Hasaraga

Wanindu Hasaranga has been one of the best T20 spinners in the world going around. He scalped four wickets in the previous game against CSK to derail their batting lineup. He is expected to perform against PBKS in a ground where the dimensions of the boundaries are longer.

PBKS vs RR Match Prediction: Best Batter Prediction

Who will score the most runs for PBKS: Prabhsimran Singh and Shreyas Iyer.

Who will score the most runs for Rajasthan Royals: Sanju Samson and Nitish Rana.

PBKS vs RR Match Prediction: Best Bowler Prediction

Who will pick the most wickets for PBKS: Arshdeep Singh and Yuzvendra Chahal

Who will pick the most wickets for RR: Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana