A Score That Looked Like Enough
Punjab Kings batted first and put up 222/4 in 20 overs, which on any other night would have been more than enough. This was a ground that favored big scores, but 222 still demands respect. The problem was how Rajasthan Royals chose to respond to it.
From the outside, that score looked comfortable. From the inside, Punjab's bowling unit was already under pressure. Arshdeep Singh finished with 1/68 off four overs, which is genuinely one of the most expensive spells you will see from a senior bowler in any T20. The plan was there — slower balls, yorkers, pace off — but the execution just was not. And when your execution goes against a batting lineup like Rajasthan's, you pay full price.
Sooryavanshi Does It Again
By now it feels almost routine, but Vaibhav Sooryavanshi walked out to open and immediately started doing things that a teenager has no business doing in an IPL game. He launched Arshdeep for a six, a four, another four — and then turned to Lockie Ferguson and did the exact same thing. His 43 off 16 balls set the tone for the entire chase in a way that no other batter could have managed.
There is something genuinely different about the way this kid plays. It is not reckless. It does not look like he is trying to go big every ball. He just reads the ball early, gets into position, and hits it. Hard. Clean. And then jogs down the pitch like it was nothing. Murali Kartik compared him to Sehwag. Mohit Sharma said his aura is starting to mirror early-day MS Dhoni. Those are not small comparisons. Right now, though, both feel reasonable.
Chahal Brought It Back — Briefly
When Sooryavanshi fell, Yashasvi Jaiswal took over and kept the run rate ticking. He was moving smoothly toward a fifty when Yuzvendra Chahal walked in and changed the game completely. Chahal took three wickets in a short burst — Dhruv Jurel, Jaiswal, and then Riyan Parag — and suddenly Punjab were right back in it. Three wickets for 61 runs in eight overs of spin was a real turnaround, and for a few overs, Mullanpur genuinely felt like it could go either way.
That is when Rajasthan made their move.
Ferreira and Dubey Close It Out
Riyan Parag sent Shubham Dubey out as the impact substitute, and alongside Donovan Ferreira, the two of them put together the kind of partnership that wins knockout games, not just league stage matches. Dubey came in and immediately started hitting. Ferreira, meanwhile, was just brutally efficient. A six into the top tier off Lockie Ferguson, boundaries through the off-side, the ability to hit big and then rotate without panic — he looked every bit the match-winner.
By the time the last over arrived, Rajasthan needed just two runs. Ferreira finished it with a six off Marco Jansen, brought up his fifty off the same ball, and that was that.
His explanation afterward was simple. Take it ball by ball. Break it down into small targets. Trust the partner at the other end. Not complicated, just calm.
Where Does This Leave Both Teams
Punjab Kings absorb their first loss of the season but still sit top of the table. One bad night does not erase seven good ones, and Shreyas Iyer looked composed enough after the match. He knows the bowling needs fixing. He also knows the batting was fine, because 222 is not a bad score on any surface.
Rajasthan Royals, though, will carry serious confidence from this. They chased 223 in Mullanpur, which is now the highest successful chase at this venue in T20 cricket. The middle order showed up when it mattered. And Ferreira announced himself in the biggest way possible.
Punjab's unbeaten run is gone. Rajasthan's belief is back.