Mullanpur: Punjab Kings (PBKS) will face off against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the 40th match of IPL 2026 on Tuesday, 28th April, at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur, New Chandigarh. PBKS aim to continue their unbeaten streak, while RR will try hard to find a positive result.
PBKS are still unbeaten this season so far and are coming into this match after a record-breaking victory under Shreyas Iyer, who has been in incredible form. His unbeaten 71 off 36 balls in the record 265-run chase in the last match was outstanding. They are now the table toppers with 13 points and need just 2 more points to move closer to qualification for the playoffs. Their batting order has been fantastic, especially the young openers Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya, who have played brilliantly in all 6 matches. The bowling unit has also performed well. Punjab will play in New Chandigarh for their final home game before shifting base to Dharamshala.
On the other side, RR lost their last match against SRH after scoring 228. They started the campaign in a positive way but have since faced some ups and downs. In 8 matches, they have secured 5 wins and 3 losses, with 10 points. In the last match, a young sensation scored a brilliant century. The openers have performed well, but the middle order has struggled to score runs when early wickets fall. Their bowling has been quite impressive, led by Jofra Archer.
In IPL history, a total of 30 matches have been played between Punjab Kings and Rajasthan Royals. Punjab Kings have won 13 matches, while Rajasthan Royals have secured 17 victories, giving them a slight edge in the overall record.
PBKS Squad: Shreyas Iyer, Nehal Wadhera, Vishnu Vinod, Harnoor Pannu, Pyla Avinash, Prabhsimran Singh, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Harpreet Brar, Marco Jansen, Azmatullah Omarzai, Priyansh Arya, Musheer Khan, Suryansh Shedge, Mitch Owen, Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Yash Thakur, Xavier Bartlett, Pravin Dubey, Vishal Nishad, Lockie Ferguson.
Punjab Kings (Playing XI): Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Priyansh Arya, Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer (c), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Xavier Bartlett, Marco Jansen, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Yuzvendra Chahal
Impact Player: Arshdeep Singh
Rajasthan Royals (RR) Squad: Shubham Dubey, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Donovan Ferreira, Lhuan-Dre Pretorius, Ravi Singh, Aman Rao Perala, Shimron Hetmyer, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Riyan Parag, Yudhvir Singh Charak, Ravindra Jadeja, Dasun Shanaka, Jofra Archer, Tushar Deshpande, Kwena Maphaka, Ravi Bishnoi, Sushant Mishra, Yash Raj Punja, Vignesh Puthur, Brijesh Sharma, Adam Milne, Kuldeep Sen, Sandeep Sharma, Nandre Burger.
Rajasthan Royals (Playing XI): Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Riyan Parag (c), Shimron Hetmyer, Donovan Ferreira, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger, Tushar Deshpande, Brijesh Sharma
Impact Player: Ravi Bishnoi
The weather in Chandigarh is expected to be quite hot during the day, with temperatures reaching around 38–39°C, but it should become more comfortable in the evening as the match begins, dropping to about 23–27°C. There is a moderate chance of light rain early in the evening (around 20–40%), which could cause a brief interruption, but conditions are likely to improve as the night progresses. Overall, the weather should allow a full match, with only a slight risk of delays at the start. The pitch is expected to be a balanced surface, offering something for both batters and bowlers. Early in the innings, pacers may get some movement and bounce, especially under slightly cloudy conditions. As the game progresses, the pitch should settle and become better for stroke play. Spinners could come into play in the middle overs as the surface grips a little. Overall, it looks like a competitive wicket where a total around 170–190 could be considered a good score. It will be interesting to see how PBKS continue their unbeaten run, while RR will look to bounce back strongly.
