Yashasvi Jaiswal unleashed his explosive batting prowess in style during Rajasthan Royals’ high-octane chase of 220 against Punjab Kings at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Sunday, May 18. The young left-hander went into full attack mode right from the first over, setting the tone for a fierce chase in this crucial IPL 2025 clash.
Chasing a daunting 219/5 set by Punjab Kings, Jaiswal walked out with young prodigy Vaibhav Suryavanshi to open the innings for Rajasthan Royals. What followed was sheer carnage as the 22-year-old opener hammered 22 runs in the very first over bowled by Arshdeep Singh, instantly shifting momentum in RR’s favour.
The assault began with Arshdeep bowling a short ball which Jaiswal pounced on, pulling it over midwicket for four. Though he cautiously defended the second delivery, the rest of the over was all fireworks. He followed up with a crisp boundary off a full toss before launching a perfectly timed lofted shot over mid-off for another four. On the fourth delivery, a short-pitched ball, Jaiswal pre-meditated a scoop and executed it brilliantly as the ball flew over the keeper’s head for yet another boundary.
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The penultimate ball of the over was clipped off Jaiswal’s pads with elegance and power, clearing the deep square-leg boundary for a six. Arshdeep, already under pressure, delivered a full ball outside off on the last delivery. Jaiswal went for a drive, got a thick outside edge that raced past the short third man for the fifth boundary of the over. It was a statement of intent, with Rajasthan finishing the first over at 22 without loss.
— Drizzyat12Kennyat8 (@45kennyat7PM) May 18, 2025
Yashasvi Jaiswal vs Arshdeep Singh in very first over 😳🔥 pic.twitter.com/ePaY2tMgtM
— The Gujarat Live News (@thegujarat_live) May 18, 2025
Arshdeep Singh, with this over, registered the most expensive first over by a Punjab Kings bowler in IPL history, surpassing Glenn Maxwell’s 20-run over against Chris Gayle in 2014. Rajasthan Royals now hold the joint record with Kolkata Knight Riders for scoring 20+ runs in the first over of an IPL innings on four occasions.
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Jaiswal eventually brought up a blistering half-century off just 25 balls, studded with nine fours and a six, before falling to Harpreet Brar. The left-arm spinner lured him with a tossed-up delivery outside off, and Jaiswal couldn’t resist. Attempting to go big again, he misjudged the lofted shot, and Mitchell Owen completed a fine running catch at long-off.
Despite the dismissal, Jaiswal and Suryavanshi had already laid a rock-solid foundation, giving RR’s middle order the perfect platform to chase down the target.
