Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer.
| Photo Credit: R.V. MOORTHY

Punjab Kings will look to maintain its momentum and extend playoffs bid when it faces Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2025 at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium in Jaipur on Sunday.

PBKS will also look to use the outing on Sunday to acclimatise to the new elements for the final games against Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals here.

PBKS has been well served by its top-order. Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya have added 406 runs for the opening wicket in 11 games this year, second only to their Gujarat Titans counterparts Shubman Gill and B. Sai Sudharsan.

Shreyas Iyer has consolidated at No. 3, having racked up 405 runs from 11 games. Together, the three have combined for nearly 65 per cent of the team’s runs this edition.

With Josh Inglis and Marcus Stoinis yet to rejoin the team, the top-order will again have to shield a shaky middle-order.

The focus is on batting for the Royals too. Lhuan-dre Pretorius’ extended net session on the match eve hinted at a potential IPL debut for the South African wicketkeeper-batter. But the bigger reinforcement comes in the return of Sanju Samson.

Combined with an in-form Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Samson and Pretorius should add enough flamboyance that could avert another death-overs meltdown.

The left-hand heavy middle-order comprising Shimron Hetmyer and Shubham Dubey could neutralise the leg-break of Yuzvendra Chahal.

A win to close the home season may be a mere embellishment in a lacklustre season, but a consolidated effort, with an almost full-strength unit, could help RR chalk a way towards better days.