Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya have combined for 323 runs this season, striking at 14.9 as an opening duo. By every measure, they have stood out as IPL 2026’s most explosive pair at the top. Yet even with that commanding lead, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will be eager to avoid slipping any further behind in the race for impact. With the Rajasthan Royals opening their innings against a Punjab Kings attack that has looked among the less threatening during the powerplay, the onus is on the RR top order to set the tone early on Tuesday in New Chandigarh, where the Royals face the only unbeaten team in the competition.
Rajasthan’s recent form has been uneven. They have lost three of their last four matches, and their points tally has slipped after beginning the season with a four-game winning run. That makes the need for another strong start even more urgent—particularly from the openers—if the franchise is to get its campaign back on track. The task, however, will be tough. Punjab Kings have shown that they can make even large totals look chaseable, a point illustrated by their win over Delhi Capitals on Saturday.
Riyan Parag, the Royals skipper, understands the threat but is still hopeful that conditions at the New Chandigarh Stadium won’t be as favourable to the visitors as they were at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. There is, though, a twist for Rajasthan: Punjab have already won all three of their matches at this venue this season, putting them in a strong position to identify and attack weaknesses in the Royals batting order. For RR, the bigger worries have centred on getting consistent returns from Parag and Shimron Hetmyer, as well as the repeated pattern of the top order failing to carry momentum after quick starts.
Punjab’s own story is not without complications either. While their bowling in the powerplay hasn’t been a strength, their fielding has also been an issue. They have dropped the most catches this season, taking just 70 percent of the chances offered. On the batting side, especially from the top four, Punjab have provided a cushion that helps mask those shortcomings. With four different openers in contention, the clash at a ground known for high-scoring games could easily turn into a highlight reel. Still, the decisive factor might come from something else entirely—Parag will be looking for more impact from Rajasthan’s new-ball combination of Jofra Archer and Nandre Burger, after they didn’t quite deliver the difference in the previous match.
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 batting-heavy encounter could be on the cards. The average first-innings score at the venue this season has been 212, and with both teams featuring explosive line-ups, it would not be surprising if that benchmark is surpassed.
Head to head
Rajasthan Royals have a 17-13 advantage over PBKS, and at this venue they have beaten them on both occasions. Since 2022, though, the rivalry has been close, with the Royals holding only a slim 4-3 edge.
Team News
Punjab Kings
Injuries/Unavailability: Lockie Ferguson, who missed the first seven PBKS games, has joined the squad in New Delhi.
Tactics & Matchups: Marcus Stoinis has dismissed Yashasvi Jaiswal three times in a 33-ball confrontation. The Australian pacer could be brought into play early if the left-hander starts to find rhythm.
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, sidelined with a side strain, has been out of the last three matches. There is no confirmation yet on his availability.
Tactics & Matchups: Ravindra Jadeja may have dismissed Shreyas Iyer just once in a 76-ball T20 meeting, but the left-arm spinner has typically done a good job keeping the spin-hitter under control, conceding only 74 runs to him. The mid-overs phase between the two could become a key subplot.
Probable XII: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Riyan Parag, Shimron Hetmyer, Donovan Ferreira, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger, Tushar Deshpande, Brijesh Sharma
Did you know?
- RR have taken the most wickets in the powerplay this season (20) at an average of 22.0, the best set of figures among all teams. PBKS, on the other hand, have claimed only 8 powerplay wickets at an average of 52.25, and they have conceded at 10.53.
- PBKS have dropped 12 catches this season, with a catching efficiency of 70.0%, the second-worst mark after Delhi Capitals.
- RR have let go of just six catches so far this season, the joint-second lowest by any side. Their catch success rate of 87.5% is the second-best in the tournament, behind KKR.
- Punjab Kings are the only team that has kept the same squad 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
