Punjab Kings continued their aggressive batting form in IPL 2026 as they posted another massive total, but Rajasthan Royals youngster Yash Raj Punja ensured his side stayed in the contest with a brilliant spell of spin in Match 40 at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh.
After winning the toss, RR captain Riyan Parag chose to bowl first, hoping to restrict the in-form Punjab batting lineup. However, PBKS once again showed why they remain unbeaten this season, piling up a strong 222/4 in 20 overs. Amid the batting fireworks, young spinner Yash stood out by dismissing two dangerous batters and briefly pulling the momentum back in Rajasthan’s favour.
Yash Raj Punja outfoxes Cooper Connolly and Prabhsimran Singh
Punjab were cruising comfortably when Punja was introduced into the attack, and the spinner responded with maturity beyond his years.
His first breakthrough came on the second ball of the ninth over when he deceived Cooper Connolly with a well-disguised googly. Tossed full and outside off, the delivery tempted the batter into a big slog down the ground. Connolly went for the maximum but only managed to slice it high towards long-off.
Donovan Ferreira settled under the skier and completed a safe catch, giving Rajasthan a much-needed wicket. Punja’s loud celebration reflected the importance of the breakthrough as PBKS had been dominating until then. Connolly departed after a useful 30-run contribution that had helped maintain the scoring rate.
Punja struck again on the final ball of the 14th over, this time removing the well-set Prabhsimran Singh, who was looking dangerous after crossing his half-century. Sensing the batter’s intention to attack, Punja cleverly slowed the pace and tossed the leg-break wider outside off. Prabhsimran advanced down the pitch but failed to get under the ball properly, resulting in a mistimed lofted shot.
Captain Parag positioned himself perfectly near extra cover and completed the catch calmly, ending Prabhsimran’s excellent innings of 59 off 44 balls. The dismissal highlighted Punja’s game awareness and tactical bowling, especially considering he was preferred in the playing XI over the in-form Ravi Bishnoi.
Here’s the video:
Cooper Connolly ✅
Prabhsimran Singh ✅Youngster Yash Raj Punja stepped up to the challenge today! 👏
Updates ▶️ https://t.co/fBbdVnF5Fx#TATAIPL | #KhelBindaas | #PBKSvRR | @rajasthanroyals pic.twitter.com/sQP6n0CokE
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 28, 2026
Marcus Stoinis finishes with a storm
Despite Punja’s efforts, Punjab Kings still managed to post another intimidating total. Opening batter Priyansh Arya added 29, while skipper Shreyas Iyer chipped in with 30. The real finishing blow, however, came from Marcus Stoinis, who unleashed a brutal late assault. The Australian all-rounder smashed 62 runs off just 22 balls, hammering four boundaries and six towering sixes to take PBKS beyond the 220-run mark. With 222/4 on the board, Punjab once again underlined their title credentials, but Yash’s spell gave Rajasthan Royals a glimmer of hope in what looked like a one-sided contest.
