NEW DELHI: Rajasthan Royals (RR), asked to bowl first on Sunday, made significant changes ahead of the clash against Punjab Kings (PBKS), largely due to injuries that have ruled out two of their key players, Jofra Archer and Nitish Rana.Jofra Archer, the English speedster, has been sidelined with a thumb injury sustained during RR’s match against Kolkata Knight Riders on May 4. It was a freak incident during fielding, and although initially considered minor, further medical assessment confirmed ligament damage, ruling him out for the remainder of the IPL 2025 season. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!His absence is a huge blow to RR’s bowling unit, which has already been underwhelming this season. In Archer’s place, RR brought in young South African pacer Kwena Maphaka, who now takes up the responsibility of leading the pace attack.Meanwhile, Nitish Rana, the experienced Indian left-handed batter, has also been ruled out of the tournament due to a calf muscle strain. He had been a key figure in RR’s middle order and brought stability and composure to their lineup. The injury occurred during training last week, and despite initial hopes of recovery, medical scans advised complete rest. As a replacement, RR signed 21-year-old South African batter Lhuan-dre Pretorius, signalling their focus on grooming young talent for the future.Sanju Samson, back at the helm after a brief injury layoff, acknowledged these setbacks during the toss, stating, “Let’s see how it plays out today. I am okay, hundred percent fit. I would love to respect where he (Suryavanshi) is batting. He has played well for us. I will bat down the order, I come in for Nitish Rana. Maphaka comes in for Jofra Archer.” It’s clear that RR are in a transition phase with pride being their only motivator now, as their playoff hopes are already extinguished.With these absences, the Royals face an uphill battle against a high-flying Punjab Kings side. The impact of Archer and Rana’s unavailability will likely be felt both in the bowling attack and middle-order stability.