In match 18 of the 2025 IPL, against Rajasthan Royals, Punjab Kings won the toss and decided to bowl first. Punjab Kings will be playing their first home game of the season in Mullanpur, in the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, developed by PCA (Punjab Cricket Association). Winning two in two, Punjab is on cloud nine. On the other side of the coin, Rajasthan Royals have faced two early defeats before getting their first win in their last match against Chennai Super Kings. Meanwhile, with Sanju Samson clearing fitness, he is back with his captaincy and keeping responsibilities. Shreyas Iyer, captain of Punjab Kings, shared that this is the first game at the venue, and they’re keen to understand how the surface behaves. He mentioned that practice games have hinted at dew playing a role later in the evening. Having played their last two games on red soil, the team has had productive sessions to analyze and adapt. Shreyas emphasized maintaining rhythm and composure, stating that the squad carries a champion mindset and aims to execute it well. Punjab goes in with an unchanged playing XI. Rajasthan Royals skipper Sanju Samson expressed joy at being back on the field. He noted the challenge of watching from the sidelines earlier but praised the team’s previous performance. With a new management setup, he believes the squad is slowly settling in. Tushar Deshpande misses out with a niggle; Yudhvir Singh replaces him. Pitch report from Mullanpur suggests a dry, hard surface with some grass. Dew may influence the second innings. Playing XI for both team: Punjab Kings: Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Shreyas Iyer (capt), Marcus Stoinis, Nehal Wadhera, Glenn Maxwell, Shashank Singh, Suryansh Shedge, Marco Jansen, Arshdeep Singh, Lockie Ferguson, Yuzvendra Chahal Impact subs: Priyansh Arya, Harpreet Brar, Pravin Dubey, Vishnu Vinod, Vijaykumar Vyshak Rajasthan Royals: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson (capt), Nitish Rana, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Wanindu Hasaranga, Jofra Archer, Maheesh Theekshana, Yudhvir Singh, Sandeep Sharma Impact Subs: Kunal Singh Rathore, Shubham Dubey, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Kumar Kartikeya, Akash Madhwal