Kings of the Punjab continued their aggressive form of attack IPL 2026 However, as they publish another mass general Rajasthan Royals young Young Raj Punja A brilliant spin spell kept his side in the competition in the 40th Match at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh.
RR captain after winning the toss Rian Parag in-form Punjab opted to bowl first, hoping to restrict the batting order. However, PBKS once again showed why they are unbeaten this season, amassing a strong 222/4 in 20 overs. During the fireworks, young spinner Yash stood out as he bowled two dangerous knocks and pulled the momentum back in Rajasthan’s favor for a brief period.
Yash Raj ahead of Punja Cooper Connolly and Prabhsimran Singh
Punjab were cruising comfortably when Punja came into the attack and the spinner responded with maturity beyond his years.
His first breakthrough came when he was bowled off the second ball of the ninth over Cooper Connolly with a well disguised googly. A full and outside off delivery sent the batter crashing down the ground into a big hole. Connolly went for the maximum but only managed to slice high towards long-on.
Donovan Ferreira settles under the skier and completes a safe catch, giving Rajasthan a much-needed wicket. Punja’s loud celebration reflected the significance of the breakthrough as PBKS had dominated till then. Connolly departed after a useful 30 runs which helped to maintain the scoring rate.
Punja struck again on the last ball of the 14th over, this time removing a well-set ball. Prabhsimran Singhwhich looks dangerous after half a century. Sensing the batsman’s intent to attack, Punja deftly slowed the pace and bowled the leg break further away. Prabhsimran moved up the pitch but failed to get under the ball properly, resulting in a mistimed delivery.
Captain Parag positioned himself perfectly near extra cover and calmly completed the catch to end Prabhsimra’s excellent knock of 59 to 44. The dismissal highlighted Punja’s game awareness and tactical bowling, especially given his preference in the XI over the in-form Ravi Bishnoi.
We present the video:
Cooper Connolly ✅
Prabhsimran Singh ✅Young Yash Raj Punja has risen to the challenge today! 👏
Updates ▶️ https://t.co/fBbdVnF5Fx#TATAIPL | #KhelBindaas | #PBKSvRR | @rajasthanroyals pic.twitter.com/sQP6n0CokE
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 28, 2026
Also READ: IPL 2026: Yuzvendra Chahal pranks Preity Zinta, PBKS owner responds in style
Marcus Stoinis finishes by storm
Despite Punja’s efforts, Punjab Kings still managed to post another intimidating total. Opening dough Priyansh Arya added 29 while captain Shreyas Iyer Chipped with 30. The real finishing blow, however, came Marcus Stoiniswho launched a brutal late attack. The Australian all-rounder scored 62 runs off just 22 balls, hitting four boundaries and six powerful sixes to take PBKS past the 220-run mark. With 222/4 on the board, Punjab underlined their title credentials once again but Yash’s spell gave Rajasthan Royals a glimmer of hope in what looked like a one-sided contest.
Also READ: IPL 2026: Shimron Hetmyer and Ravi Bishnoi not playing in today’s PBKS vs RR match.
