Match Preview The Rajasthan Royals (RR) are set to take on table-toppers Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the clash 18th of of IPL 2025 at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium. Punjab Kings Shreyas Iyer has been brilliantly leading the side. Punjab Kings will head into this match after comfortably winning their first two matches. They first defeated the Gujarat Titans by 11 runs in a high-scoring thriller and then thrashed the Lucknow Super Giants in their own backyard by 8 wickets in their second match of IPL 2025. PBKS's top order has been scoring runs consistently, with Iyer taking the assault charges. Arshdeep Singh has been bowling economically well with the new ball, helping PBKS scalping regular wickets in the power play. They will aim to keep their winning form alive and register their third consecutive victory of IPL 2025. Rajasthan Royals Rajasthan Royals have won one of the three matches played by them in this season. Despite having a decent lineup, the Royals have struggled to deliver with both bat and ball in their first two matches. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sanju Samson have struggled for runs and will look to make this game count. With Samson declared fit to keep wickets, it is evident that he will also lead the side, which is a positive sign for the franchise. Rajasthan Royals will look to build on this confidence and aim to continue their winning streak going forward in the tournament. Match Details PBKS vs RR Match Details Venue Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur Date and Time 5 April, 7:30 PM IST Live Broadcast Details Star Sports Live Streaming Details JioHotstar (app and website) Pitch Report This will be the first game of IPL 2025, which will be played on Mullanpur's surface. The average first innings total in IPL 2024 was 167, this depicts that the surface will be challenging and not be easier to bat on. Leg-break bowlers and medium pacers are likely to exact some good help from this surface. Head-to-Head Record H2H Records - PBKS vs RR in IPL Total Matches 28 Won by Punjab Kings 11 Won by Rajasthan Royals 16 Tied 1 No Result 0 Probable Playing XI Punjab Kings: Shreyas Iyer(c), Prabhsimran Singh, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Shashank Singh, Marco Jansen, Suryansh Shedge, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Lockie Ferguson, Priyansh Arya. (Impact Subs - Nehal Wadhera, Musheer Khan, Harpreet Brar, Yash Thakur) Rajasthan Royals: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson (c), Nitish Rana, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Riyan Parag, Shimron Hetmyer, Wanindu Hasaranga, Jofra Archer, Tushar Deshpande, Maheesh Theekshana, Sandeep Sharma. (Impact Subs - Akash Madhwal, Shubham Dubey, Kumar Kartikeya, Yudhvir Singh) Toss Prediction Historical Toss-Winning Stats at the Venue In the 3 matches at this venue, the toss-winning teams had decided to bowl twice and toss-winning teams have decided to bat first just once. Advantages of Bowling First on This Pitch Out of 5 IPL matches played at this venue, the batting first teams have registered 2 wins to their name, while the fielding first sides have registered 3 victories. Match Scenario Scenario 1 Toss Winner: Punjab Kings (opts to bowl first) Power-Play Score: 40-45 RR Total: 160-180 Match Winner: Punjab Kings Scenario 2 Toss Winner: Rajasthan Royals (opts to bowl first) Power-Play Score: 50-55 PBKS Total: 180-200 Match Winner: Punjab Kings Who will win the match between PBKS vs RR? Punjab Kings have an advantage going into this match, as they have yet to lose a single match in IPL 2025, and they are the team to beat this season. On the other hand, the Rajasthan Royals bounced back with a victory in their last match after losing their first two matches and will aim to continue their winning form. We believe that PBKS will win this match.