In the 40th match of the IPL 2026, Rajasthan Royals (RR) pulled off a stunning heist to end Punjab Kings‘ (PBKS) six-match winning streak at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Stadium in Mullanpur. Chasing a mammoth 223, RR crossed the finish line with four balls to spare and won by six wickets.
The RR bowlers had a tough time bowling on a “tacky” Mullanpur pitch. Yash Punja was the most effective wicket-taker, finishing with 2/41, while veteran Jofra Archer (1/40) made an important early breakthrough. While Nandre Burger was expensive (1/59), the spin department, notably Ravindra Jadeja (0/32), was able to put some pressure in the middle overs. Despite giving away 222 runs, the bowlers did just enough to keep the mark within reach of their dynamic batting team.
In the chase, once again Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (45), a 15-year-old phenom, sparked the chase with a brave cameo knock, which included five massive sixes. From the other end, Yashasvi Jaiswal (51) maintained his pace with a solid fifty. With this half-century, he became only the third RR player to reach 20 fifty-plus scores. Towards the end, the match threatened to slip away in the middle overs, but Donovan Ferreira (52*) and Shubham Dubey (31*) delivered a crisp finish. Their undefeated 77-run partnership off only 32 balls transformed a daunting 12+ RRR into a straightforward win.
While batting first, PBKS began with their customary intensity, lead by Priyansh Arya (29). Prabhsimran Singh (59) demonstrated consistency with his fourth half-century of the season. The true pyrotechnics came from Marcus Stoinis (62*), who unleashed “The Hulk” mode at the end. In his undefeated knock, Stoinis stormed at a staggering 281.82. His late blitz, which included 24 runs in the last over, helped PBKS to a daunting 222/4.
Despite the massive score, the PBKS bowlers were unable to stop RR’s assault. Yuzvendra Chahal was the star performance against his previous side, taking 3/36. Harpreet Brar was extremely disciplined, giving away only 25 runs in his four overs. However, the pace combo of Arshdeep Singh (1/68) and Lockie Ferguson (0/57) had a forgettable night, leaking runs at a rate of more than 14.
With this win, RR now have 12 points and are third in the standings.
Scorecard:
Punjab Kings: 222/4, Overs 20, Marcus Stoinis 62*, Yash Raj Punja 2/41
Rajasthan Royals: 228/4, Overs 19.2, Donovan Ferreira 52*, Yuzvendra Chahal 3/36
