Mullanpur (Punjab), India, April 6 (ANI): After his team defeated Punjab Kings (PBKS), Rajasthan Royals (RR) bowler Jofra Archer said he was pleased to have played a part in securing the victory.
A strong fifty from Yashasvi Jaiswal along with impressive bowling performances from Jofra Archer, Sandeep Sharma, and Maheesh Theekshana enabled the Rajasthan Royals (RR) to claim a 50-run victory against the Punjab Kings (PBKS) during their Indian Premier League (IPL) match held in Mullanpur on Saturday. Following several underwhelming displays where he struggled to contain runs, English bowler Archer delivered an outstanding performance, taking three wickets for just 25 runs across his four-over spell.
In the post-match interview, Archer stated, “At the start of the tournament, things didn’t go well for me (with poor performances), but I’m glad to have helped secure the victory today. When moments like these come around, you seize them, savoring the good times and taking the tough periods in stride. Sometimes luck favors you, yet remember that everybody trains just as diligently as you do; not every single day can be perfect.”
Following their victory in the coin toss, Punjab Kings opted to field initially. A significant partnership of 89 runs between Yashasvi Jaiswal (scoring 67 off 45 deliveries, including three boundaries and five maximums) and Sanju Samson (contributing 38 off 26 balls, featuring six fours) set the stage for Rajasthan Royals. Later innings by Riyan Parag (notching up 43*, hitting three fours and three sixes in just 25 balls), along with Shimron Hetmyer’s aggressive knock (20 off 12 balls, comprising two fours and one six) propelled Rajasthan to a formidable total of 205/4 within their allotted twenty overs.
The standout bowler for PBKS was Lockie Ferguson with 2/37. Arshdeep Singh and Marco Jansen took one wicket each respectively.
While chasing, PBKS found themselves at 43/4 due to Jofra Archer’s impressive performance of taking 3 wickets for only 25 runs. Nevertheless, an essential partnership of 88 runs between Nehal Wadhera (scoring 62 off 41 deliveries including five fours and three sixes) and Glenn Maxwell (contributing 30 off 21 balls featuring three fours and one six) reignited PBKS’s chances. Yet, once they were out, PBKS struggled to regain momentum and suffered from a lack of boundary-scoring opportunities. Eventually, PBKS managed to post a total of 155/9 in their allotted twenty overs, largely credited to strong bowling efforts from Sandeep Sharma (taking two wickets conceding just 21 runs) and Maheesh Theekshana (also claiming two wickets giving away 26 runs).
Following this defeat, PBKS has experienced their initial loss in IPL 2025, which also marks the beginning of their home leg with an obstacle. Currently, they stand at the fourth position with two victories and one loss, while RR remain at the seventh spot after securing two wins out of two games played. (ANI)