LUCKYSPIRE
Indian Premier LeagueResult
Punjab Kings

Punjab Kings

147/8
Rajasthan Royals

Rajasthan Royals

152/7

Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Int'l Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur · Saturday, 13 April 2024

Rajasthan Royals won by 3 wicketsPlayer of the match: SO Hetmyer

Match preview

Rajasthan Royals edge Punjab Kings by 3 wickets in Mullanpur thriller

Match overview

Rajasthan Royals beat Punjab Kings by 3 wickets at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh on 13 April 2024. Punjab posted 147/8 after being put in to bat, a total that looked well below the venue's average first-innings score of 175. Rajasthan's chase was far from comfortable: they lost 7 wickets in total and needed 53 runs from the final five overs, but Simone Hetmyer, named Player of the Match, saw them home. The result moved Rajasthan to 17 wins from 30 IPL meetings with Punjab, extending their head-to-head advantage to 17-12.

Punjab's innings had its bright spots late on. After losing 4 wickets in the middle phase and limping to 86/5, they produced 61 runs from their final five overs at the cost of only 3 wickets. For a side playing at home, that recovery showed character, even if the final total still fell 28 runs short of the ground's historical average.

Venue and conditions

The Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium at Mullanpur has hosted 14 T20 matches, and the numbers tell a fairly batter-friendly story. The average first-innings total is 175 and the average second-innings total is 165, a modest gap that indicates the pitch does not deteriorate dramatically between innings. Powerplay scoring averages 56 runs per innings, and death-overs scoring averages 42, which aligns with what both sides actually produced in this match.

Toss preferences at this ground are pronounced: 71% of toss winners have chosen to field, exactly what Rajasthan did here. Yet the chase success rate sits at precisely 50%, a reminder that the conventional wisdom about bowling first at this venue does not automatically translate into wins. The conditions seem to hold up for batters throughout both innings, which makes total-based thinking more relevant than toss-based edges.

How to watch

IPL fixtures are broadcast in the UK on Sky Sports Cricket, with live streaming available through Sky Go and NOW TV for subscribers. Given the time difference between the UK and India, most evening IPL matches kick off at approximately 14:00 or 19:30 IST, which translates to around 09:30 or 14:00 BST. Check the Sky Sports schedule for confirmed UK times for upcoming Punjab Kings and Rajasthan Royals fixtures.

Recent form

Going into this match, Rajasthan Royals were in noticeably better shape. They had won four of their previous five IPL outings in 2024, with defeats only to Gujarat Titans. Punjab Kings, by contrast, had lost three of their last five, beating Gujarat Titans and Delhi Capitals but falling to Sunrisers Hyderabad, Lucknow Super Giants, and Royal Challengers Bangalore.

That contrast in momentum may help explain how Rajasthan found a way to win despite a chaotic death-overs chase. Punjab's 3-from-5 run of form put pressure on this home fixture, and while their bowlers made Rajasthan work hard, they could not defend a total that was already 28 below what this ground typically yields in a first innings. Rajasthan's superior recent form gave them the composure to finish the job.

Talking points

What to look out for

5 angles

Headline angle

Hetmyer wins it; takes Player of the Match

Simone Hetmyer was named Player of the Match after guiding Rajasthan Royals home in a nervy chase. Punjab Kings posted 147/8, and Rajasthan scrambled to 152/7, losing 4 wickets in the death overs before scraping over the line with 3 wickets to spare.

Angle 02

Punjab's death overs rescued a middling total

Punjab Kings were 86/5 at the end of the middle phase but plundered 61 runs in the final five overs, losing only 3 wickets. That late burst turned what looked like a below-par score into something competitive, particularly given the venue's average first-innings total of 175.

Angle 03

Royals powerplay laid the foundation

Rajasthan reached 43/0 after six overs, comfortably above the ground's powerplay average of 56 runs across 14 matches. Despite losing 3 wickets in the middle overs and 4 more in the death, that early platform proved decisive.

Angle 04

Royals' toss call vindicated, just about

Rajasthan won the toss and opted to field, a choice backed by this venue's data: 71% of toss winners at Mullanpur have chosen to bowl first. The chase success rate here sits at exactly 50%, so there was no clear edge, and the final margin of 3 wickets reflected that fine balance.

Angle 05

Royals extend head-to-head advantage to 17-12

This win moved Rajasthan Royals to 17 wins from 30 meetings against Punjab Kings in the IPL. Punjab had won three of the previous five fixtures between the sides, so Rajasthan's victory here helped level recent momentum in the rivalry.

Context

Key insights

Historical · Not official

Venue par

130

Avg 1st innings score at Cricket Stadium

13 matches · 2019

Chase success

77%

Chases completed successfully at Cricket Stadium

13 matches · 2019

Head to head

12 — 17

Punjab Kings vs Rajasthan Royals — 30 meetings

2007–2025

Powerplay

36/2.2

Average runs/wickets in overs 1–6 at Cricket Stadium

Punjab Kings form

46%

Overall win rate — 268 matches 2007–2026

Recent: L · W · W · NR · W

Historical aggregates derived from Cricsheet (cricsheet.org) under ODC-BY licence. 2001/02–2026 IPL seasons. For editorial context only — not official live match data, not a forecast, and not betting advice. Projections and comparisons above are frozen from the live state and may not match final statistics.

The rivalry

Who could decide it

Rajasthan Royals now lead the all-time IPL head-to-head against Punjab Kings 17 wins to 12, from 30 meetings with no no-results. Punjab had won three of the last five fixtures before this game, keeping the rivalry genuinely competitive despite Rajasthan's overall edge.

Recent meetings

Last 5
  • 2025: Punjab Kings won by 10 runs at Sawai Mansingh Stadium
  • 2025: Rajasthan Royals won by 50 runs at Mullanpur
  • 2024: Punjab Kings won by 5 wickets at Barsapara
  • 2023: Rajasthan Royals won by 4 wickets at Dharamsala
  • 2023: Punjab Kings won by 5 runs at Barsapara
PA

Key player · Punjab Kings

Priyansh Arya

One of the most destructive openers in the competition, Priyansh Arya demonstrated his ceiling with a 103 off 42 balls in April 2025. At a ground where the powerplay has been pivotal, his ability to score at pace from ball one makes him central to how Punjab set totals.

Full career stats
Arshdeep Singh

Punjab Kings

Arshdeep Singh

Arshdeep Singh has the pedigree to hurt opposition top orders and at the death, having taken 4/29 in four overs in an IPL fixture in April 2024. In a match where the Royals' powerplay proved decisive, his ability to take early wickets is exactly what Punjab need.

Career stats →
YS Chahal

Rajasthan Royals

YS Chahal

Yuzvendra Singh Chahal is Rajasthan's primary spin threat and has delivered figures of 4/28 in four overs as recently as April 2025. Mullanpur's pitch tends to hold something for spinners in the middle phase, which is precisely where Chahal does his best work.

Career stats →
Q de Kock

Rajasthan Royals

Q de Kock

Quinton de Kock offers the kind of powerplay momentum that Rajasthan built their chase on in this fixture. His most recent notable knock was 90 off 46 balls at international level, underlining that his aggression at the top of the order remains a consistent weapon.

Career stats →
SA Yadav

Rajasthan Royals

SA Yadav

Shreyas Yadav offers middle-order firepower at a time in a T20 chase when composure is as important as scoring rate. His 78 off 53 balls in an IPL match in April 2024 illustrates he can anchor while still accelerating when required.

Career stats →

Angles to watch

Analytical angles worth tracking

Observations from the venue data, recent form and historical trends. Editorial context, not betting advice.

  • Top batter markets may suit this fixture well given both sides carry genuine hitting depth through their middle orders, which tends to compress outright result prices.
  • The venue's average first-innings score of 175 across 14 matches suggests total-runs markets could be more interesting than team-result lines if either side's powerplay underperforms that 56-run average.
  • With 71% of toss winners at Mullanpur opting to field, toss-related markets historically align with the chasing side, though the 50% chase success rate shows the advantage is far from guaranteed.
  • Death-overs bowling has proven unpredictable at this ground: 61 runs came in Punjab's final five overs here, and 53 in Rajasthan's. That volatility may make phase-specific bowling economy markets less predictable than at other IPL venues.

For editorial context only. Not a forecast and not betting advice. 18+ only, please gamble responsibly.

Questions

Frequently asked

Rajasthan Royals won the match by 3 wickets. They chased down Punjab Kings' total of 147/8, finishing on 152/7 at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur.

Simone Hetmyer of Rajasthan Royals was named Player of the Match for his contribution in steering the chase home in a tight finish.

Across 30 IPL meetings, Rajasthan Royals lead the head-to-head 17 wins to 12, with no no-results. Punjab had won three of the five matches immediately before this fixture.

IPL matches are typically broadcast in the UK on Sky Sports Cricket, with streaming available via Sky Go and NOW TV. Check the Sky Sports schedule for specific match times, which are generally broadcast live in the evening UK time.

Across 14 T20 matches at Mullanpur, the average first-innings score is 175 and the average second-innings score is 165. The powerplay average is 56 runs and the death-overs average is 42 runs, suggesting the pitch is batter-friendly but not flat. Chasing sides have won 50% of matches, so there is no strong toss-dependent bias.

Punjab Kings scored 38/1 in the powerplay, 48/4 in the middle phase, and 61/3 in the death overs to finish on 147/8. Rajasthan Royals scored 43/0 in the powerplay, 56/3 in the middle, and 53/4 in the death to reach 152/7 and win by 3 wickets.

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