The 40th match of IPL 2026 sees a high-stakes clash at Mullanpur as the table-topping Punjab Kings (PBKS) host the Rajasthan Royals (RR). While Punjab is enjoying a dream run, Rajasthan is looking to steady the ship after a string of inconsistent results.
Punjab Kings enter this fixture as the most dominant side of the season. Under Shreyas Iyer, they remain the only unbeaten team (6 wins and 1 wash-out), fueled by a record-breaking chasing ability and a fearless top order featuring Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh. Their recent victory over Delhi Capitals, where they chased down 265, has made them the team to beat.
Rajasthan Royals, led by Riyan Parag, currently sit 4th on the table with 10 points. After a blistering start to the season, they have stuttered recently, losing three of their last four games. The Royals will rely heavily on Yashasvi Jaiswal and the young sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to provide a platform, while their bowling unit—spearheaded by the returning Jofra Archer and veteran Ravindra Jadeja—faces the daunting task of silencing the PBKS bats.
PBKS vs RR IPL 2026: Match details
- Date and Time: April 28; 7:30 pm IST / 2 pm GMT
- Venue: Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur, New Chandigarh
PBKS vs RR, Head-to-Head Record in IPL
Matches played: 30 | PBKS won: 13 | RR won: 17 | No result/Tied: 0
Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium Pitch Report
The surface at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium is a true sporting track that has quickly become a favorite for batters in IPL 2026. The pitch offers consistent bounce and carry, allowing stroke-makers to play through the line with confidence, often resulting in scores exceeding 200.
While the lightning-fast outfield rewards well-timed shots, the new ball provides a brief window of opportunity for pacers to find zip and movement. As the match progresses under lights, the dew factor typically makes chasing the preferred option, though the dry nature of the Mullanpur square ensures spinners like Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravi Bishnoi still find enough grip to remain relevant in the middle overs.
Squads
Rajasthan Royals: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Riyan Parag (c), Shimron Hetmyer, Donovan Ferreira, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, Tushar Deshpande, Nandre Burger, Brijesh Sharma, Ravi Bishnoi, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Ravi Singh, Sandeep Sharma, Shubham Dubey, Adam Milne, Dasun Shanaka, Kuldeep Sen, Sushant Mishra, Yudhvir Singh Charak, Kwena Maphaka, Vignesh Puthur, Yash Raj Punja, Aman Rao Perala
Punjab Kings: Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Priyansh Arya, Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer (c), Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Nehal Wadhera, Suryansh Shedge, Harpreet Brar, Vishnu Vinod, Yash Thakur, Ben Dwarshuis, Praveen Dubey, Lockie Ferguson, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mitchell Owen, Harnoor Singh, Musheer Khan, Pyla Avinash, Vishal Nishad
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PBKS vs RR, IPL 2026: Today’s Match Prediction
Case 1:
- PBKS wins the toss and bowl first
- RR’s powerplay score: 50-60
- RR’s total score: 190-200
Case 2:
- RR wins the toss and bats first
- PBKS’ powerplay score: 55-65
- PBKS’ total score: 200-210
Match result: Team bowling first to win the contest
