Punjab Kings will face Rajasthan Royals in Match 40 of IPL 2026 at Mullanpur Cricket Stadium in Chandigarh on Tuesday, with PBKS aiming to protect their unbeaten record. The clash comes as the league stage enters a decisive phase and both teams chase key points.
Punjab Kings arrive as table toppers and the only unbeaten side left in the tournament. Rajasthan Royals, after a strong start, now need a response after winning just one of their last four matches.
Punjab's batting has powered their rise this season. Their latest win saw them complete a chase of 265 against Delhi Capitals, with Shreyas Iyer making an unbeaten 71 off 36 balls and Prabhsimran Singh scoring 76 off 26 deliveries.
Form Guide
Shreyas Iyer, Prabhsimran Singh, Priyansh Arya and Cooper Connolly have driven Punjab's top order with both pace and consistency. The group has already produced 11 half-centuries this season, each at a strike rate above 160.
Punjab's bowling returns have been lower in comparison. Arshdeep Singh leads the side with seven wickets, while Vijaykumar Vyshak has taken six.
Rajasthan Royals began with four straight wins but their momentum has slowed. Their batting still looks dangerous through Vaibhav Sooryvanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel.
Sooryvanshi struck a 36-ball hundred against Sunrisers Hyderabad, the third-fastest century in IPL history. He has also added two fifties this season, while Jaiswal and Jurel have contributed multiple half-centuries.
There is concern around captain Riyan Parag, who has scored 81 runs in eight innings with a highest score of 20. Jofra Archer has led the bowling attack with 13 wickets, while Ravi Bishnoi has taken 11.
Match Conditions
The India Meteorological Department has forecast thunderstorms with lightning and strong surface winds in the city on Tuesday.
The last two matches at this venue produced high totals, with all four innings crossing 200 runs. The surface is expected to favour batters again.
ALSO READ: Virat Kohli Becomes First Batter To Reach 9,000 Runs In IPL History As RCB Thrash DC
Key Watch
Shreyas Iyer remains Punjab's key batter after leading the middle order and finishing innings strongly. His captaincy has also helped PBKS maintain their unbeaten run.
Vaibhav Sooryvanshi will be central to Rajasthan's hopes after his recent hundred. A quick start from him could put Punjab under pressure.
Head-To-Head
Matches Played: 30
Punjab Kings Wins: 13
Rajasthan Royals Wins: 17
Likely XI
PBKS: Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Priyansh Arya, Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer (capt), Nehal Wadhera, Marcus Stoinis, Shashank Singh, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Arshdeep Singh
RR: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryvanshi, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Riyan Parag (capt), Donovan Ferreira, Shimron Hetmyer, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, Tushar Deshpande, Brijesh Sharma, Ravi Bishnoi
Watch Live
All IPL matches are being broadcast on Star Sports channels. Live streaming is available on the JioHotStar app.
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