A half-century by Captain Sam Curran guided Punjab Kings (PBKS) to a thrilling 5 wicket victory against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the 65th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.

Earlier, Sam Curran and Rahul Chahar helped PBKS to restrict RR at 144/9.

Opting to bat first after winning the toss, Rajasthan Royals didn't get off to the desired start as Punjab Kings' bowlers efficiently curtailed the hosts' run-scoring opportunities.

Riyan Parag emerged as the standout batter for RR, leading his team's batting effort with the highest runs among his teammates.

Yashasvi Jaiswal and Tom Kohler-Cadmore opened for Rajasthan, with Jaiswal managing a boundary with a cover drive off Sam Curran's first ball but falling to Curran's bowling soon after. Curran conceded only nine runs in his initial over.

Despite Jaiswal's early exit, Kohler-Cadmore and Sanju Samson tried to stabilize the innings, but Samson's departure in the 7th over to Nathan Ellis halted their efforts.

At the end of the initial powerplay, Rajasthan had only managed 38 runs for the loss of one wicket, continuing their trend of low boundary hitting during powerplays in IPL 2024.