PBKS vs RR pitch report: How will surface at Mullanpur play for IPL 2025 Match 18?

Punjab Kings will host Rajasthan Royals on April 5 at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur. The Shreyas Iyer-led side won back-to-back games in the ongoing IPL 2025 and courtesy of the same, Punjab are currently on the top of the points table. The captain has led by example so far, as he scored 149 runs in two matches and is currently the fifth-leading run-scorer of the tournament.

Among bowlers, Arshdeep Singh has been brilliant. Marco Jansen had a decent outing too but the other bowlers need to pull up their socks. Yuzvendra Chahal, who was bought for INR 18 crore has picked up only one wicket so far in the season, which is extremely concerning.

On the other hand, Rajasthan Royals have lost two out of their three matches so far in the ongoing season. Their bowling has let them down so far and that is something that the team management needs to address immediately. Star batter Yashasvi Jaiswal’s form is also a concern for the team. Nevertheless, Sanju Samson is set to return as captain against PBKS and the keeper-batter is expected to bring some stability.

Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur Pitch Report

The surface at Mullanpur will heavily favour the batters. A high-scoring game is expected when Punjab host Rajasthan. Bowling first will be the ideal decision and anything over 230 runs can be considered to be a good total.

PBKS vs RR Probable Playing XIs

Punjab Kings – 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 – Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson (c & wk), Nitish Rana, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, Wanindu Hasaranga, Jofra Archer, Maheesh Theekshana, Sandeep Sharma, Tushar Deshpande