🏏IPL 2026: Punjab Kings vs Rajasthan Royals, 40th Match Mullanpur🏏

🏏IPL 2026: Punjab Kings vs Rajasthan Royals, 40th Match Mullanpur🏏

Punjab Kings (PBKS) are strong favourites against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Match 40 of IPL 2026 at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur.

The reason is clear. PBKS are the only unbeaten team in IPL 2026 with 7 wins and 1 no result from 8 matches (15 points), including a record chase of 265 against DC. Meanwhile, RR are 4th with 5 wins and 3 losses and have won just 1 of their last 4 matches.

Mullanpur has been a run-scoring machine with an average first-innings score of 211 in IPL 2026.

As a partnership, Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya have blasted 323 runs this season at a strike rate of 14.9. On all parameters they stand a distant first as the most explosive opening pair in IPL 2026.

Call it the strength of explosive richness that exists in the tournament, but to have been left behind at third on this list is not something that Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi would want to take too lightly. And against the bowling attack that has been among the weakest in the powerplay this season, the Rajasthan Royals openers would want to set the record straight!!

Suryavanshi‘s 103 off 37 against SRH proved he can score centuries on any surface. At Mullanpur, where the average first-innings score is 211, his explosive batting in the powerplay could set up a massive total. However, he needs support from the other end, which has been inconsistent recently.

Moreover, Archer‘s express pace on Mullanpur’s surface, which offers good bounce, is RR’s biggest weapon. His first-ball wickets (3 times this IPL) could rattle PBKS’s aggressive openers. If Archer dismisses Prabhsimran and Priyansh early, PBKS’s batting template collapses.

Besides, Jadeja‘s all-round contributions have been crucial. His unbeaten 43 against LSG and disciplined bowling make him RR’s most valuable player. At Mullanpur, where spinners get assistance in the middle overs, Jadeja and Bishnoi bowling in tandem could control the 7-15 over phase.

Priyansh Arya-Cooper Connolly partnership is IPL 2026’s most destructive combination. At Mullanpur, where boundaries are short and the ball comes on nicely, their combined strike rates above 180 are terrifying. If either gets going, even Archer and Bishnoi will struggle to contain them.

Furthermore, Iyer‘s captaincy has been exceptional. His unbeaten 71* chasing 265 vs DC showed composure under extreme pressure. Under Ponting’s coaching, Iyer has become a genuine match-winner. His tactical decisions, especially the use of Chahal in the middle overs, have been sharp.

Additionally, PBKS may bring in Xavier Bartlett for extra pace on Mullanpur’s batting-friendly surface. His bounce and accuracy complement Arshdeep‘s yorkers and Jansen‘s left-arm variety. This three-pronged pace attack gives PBKS genuine death-overs options.

As a partnership, Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya have blasted 323 runs this season at a strike rate of 14.9. On all parameters they stand a distant first as the most explosive opening pair in IPL 2026. Call it the strength of explosive richness that exists in the tournament, but to have been left behind at third on this list is not something that Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi would want to take too lightly. And against the bowling attack that has been among the weakest in the powerplay this season, the Rajasthan Royals openers would want to set the record straight.

Their best opportunity comes to them on Tuesday in New Chandigarh, against the only unbeaten side in the tournament.

Rajasthan Royals have lost three of their last four matches, and have had a downward slide on the points table after having kickstartd their campaign with a four-match winning streak. They'd would be in desperate need for their openers to lead that charge yet again, and return to winning ways.

The challenge wouldn't be easy. Punjab Kings have displayed their ability to make all totals look chaseable, as evidenced by their win against Delhi Capitals on Saturday. Riyan Parag, the Royals skipper, is aware of the threat at hand. But is hopeful that the pitch and conditions at the New Chandigarh Stadium would not necessarily be as kind to the hosts as it was at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.

However, unlike last season, Punjab Kings have won all of their three matches at the venue, and would be well-placed to expose the weaknesses of the Royals line-up. The lack of returns from Riyan Parag and Shimron Hetmyer has been the biggest concern, followed by the repeated inability to sustain the momentum after the quick starts from the top-order.

But Punjab, despite their collective success, have their own set of problems to deal with. Beyond the ineffectiveness in the powerplays with the ball, they have dropped the most number of catches this season—holding on to only 70 percent of the chances that have come their way. Their batting - especially the top-four - has come as a much-needed cushion to their weaknesses.

The battle between the four openers could well be the highlight of the contest at a venue that has seen high-scorers this season. But the twist could potentially lie elsewhere. And Parag would be hopeful that Royals' new-ball pair of Jofra Archer and Nandre Burger would get more success than they did in the previous game to make that difference.

When: Punjab Kings vs Rajasthan Royals, Tuesday, April 28, 2026, 7:30 PM IST

Where: Maharaj Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, New Chandigarh

What to expect: Another run-fest could be on the cards. The average first innings score at the venue this season has been 212. However, given the explosive line-ups of the two sides, don't be surprised if that mark is crossed.

Head to head: Rajasthan Royals hold a 17-13 advantage over PBKS, and at the venue they have beaten them on both occasions. However, since 2022, the two sides have had a near-equal battle, with Royals holding a narrow 4-3 edge.

Team News:

Punjab Kings

Injuries/Unavailability: Lockie Ferguson, who was unavailable for the first seven games for PBKS, joined the squad in New Delhi.

Tactics & Matchups: Marcus Stoinis has dismissed Yashasvi Jaiswal thrice in a 33-ball face-off. The Australian seamer could be summoned early if the southpaw gets going

Probable XII: Prabhsimran Singh, Priyansh Arya, Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer, Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Xavier Bartlett, Marco Jansen, Vijaykumar Vyshakh, Yuzvendra Chahal

Rajasthan Royals

Injuries/Unavailability: Sandeep Sharma, who is recovering from a side strain, has missed out on the last three games for Royals. There is no update on his availability as yet.

Tactics & Matchups:Ravindra Jadeja may have dismissed Shreyas Iyer only once in a 76-ball face-off in T20s, but the left-arm spinner has historically managed to keep the spin-basher in check, conceding only 74 runs to him. The middle-overs battle between two could be interesting.

Probable XII: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Riyan Parag, Shimron Hetmyer, Donovan Ferreira, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger, Tushar Deshpande, Brijesh Sharma

Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Stadium Pitch Report

Mullanpur has been the highest-scoring venue in IPL 2026. The average first-innings score here is a staggering 211, with four 200-plus totals from just 3 matches.

Source – Cricbuzz

Pitch Behaviour-----Flat, batting-friendly surface. True bounce, good carry. Ball comes on nicely throughout, especially under lights.
Batting Conditions-----Excellent. 200+ is par. Short boundaries and quick outfield reward aggressive batting.
Bowling Conditions----Pacers get bounce early. Spinners find grip in the middle overs. Death bowling is extremely difficult.
Avg 1st Innings Score (IPL 2026)----211 (highest venue average in the tournament)
Bat First vs Chase----Bat first wins 60% (6 of 10 overall). But PBKS have chased every total this season.
Key Stat254/7----- (PBKS vs LSG) is the highest total at this venue. 4 totals above 200 in just 3 IPL 2026 matches here.

Did you know?

- RR have picked most wickets (20) at an average of (22.0) in the powerplay this season - these parameters are best among all the teams this season. On the other hand, PBKS picked just 8 wickets at an average of 52.25 and conceded at 10.53.

- PBKS have dropped 12 catches this season; their catching efficiency is 70.0 % - the second worst after Delhi Capitals. On the other hand, RR have dropped just six catches this season so far - the joint-second fewest by a side - and their catch success % of 87.5 is the second-best by any team after KKR

- Punjab Kings have been the only team that has been unchanged this season

What they said:

"They [PBKS] chased down a big score, yes, in Delhi, but Chandigarh is a new ground and a new wicket, a new soil. So hopefully, it doesn't go to that extent. We'd like to restrict them for lower." -Riyan Parag, Rajasthan Royals skipper

"We discussed that in the previous games, we chased around 220-225 with two overs left. So the mindset was very much similar. Get as many runs as possible in the powerplay and they just went bonkers from ball one and steadied the ship for us. And the rest of us, we just wanted to capitalise on the start." - Shreyas Iyer, Punjab Kings skipper following the record chase against Delhi Capitals