NEW DELHI: Nehal Wadhera and Shashank Singh smashed half-centuries, while left-arm spinner Harpreet Brar bagged three wickets as Punjab Kings edged Rajasthan Royals by 10 runs on Sunday to boost their IPL playoff hopes. Powered by Wadhera’s explosive 70 off 37 balls, an unbeaten 59 from Shashank, and a handy 30-run knock by skipper Shreyas Iyer, PBKS posted a strong 219 for 5.In response, RR openers Yashasvi Jaiswal (50 off 25) and Vaibhav Suryavanshi (40) gave the home team a blistering start, adding 76 runs in just 4.5 overs. But Harpreet Brar (3/22) broke the momentum by removing Suryavanshi in the fifth over, triggering a steady fall of wickets. Despite a fighting 53 off 31 balls from Dhruv Jurel, Rajasthan fell short, finishing at 209 for 7.Azmatullah Omarzai (2/44) also made key contributions with the ball, dismissing skipper Sanju Samson (20) and the dangerous Shimron Hetmyer (11).The win took Punjab Kings to 17 points — level with second-placed Royal Challengers Bengaluru — but they sit third on the table due to net run rate.After the match, PBKS pacer Arshdeep Singh shared a light-hearted moment with RR opener Jaiswal, who had taken him to the cleaners early on. Jaiswal blazed away to a 25-ball 50, smashing Arshdeep for four boundaries and a six in his very first over, scoring 22 off 6 deliveries.Arshdeep, who had a forgettable outing conceding 60 runs in his four overs, posted a humorous video on Instagram. In it, he tells Jaiswal in a typical Bollywood tone, “Bohot maara be, dhaaga hi khol diya” (You really smashed me, tore the thread off). Jaiswal replied with a grin, “Ekdum, maine bola tha isko, mai maarunga ek din” (Absolutely, I had told him I’ll smash him one day).Meanwhile, PBKS skipper Shreyas Iyer etched his name in IPL history by becoming the first player to captain three different franchises into the playoffs. Having previously led Delhi Capitals in 2019 and 2020, and Kolkata Knight Riders in 2024, Iyer has now guided Punjab to the final four in his very first season with the team.
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