PBKS vs RR IPL 2026: Rajasthan Royals won the toss and elected to field against Punjab Kings in Match 40 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur on Tuesday, April 28, 2026.
Rajasthan captain Riyan Parag said early conditions influenced the decision.
“We’ll be bowling first. There’s a bit of cloud cover and some moisture early on, so we’ll try to make use of that and pick up early wickets,” Parag said.
Rajasthan made two changes to their lineup, bringing in Dasun Shanaka for Shimron Hetmyer, while Yash Raj Punja replaced Ravi Bishnoi.
Punjab captain Shreyas Iyer said his side would have preferred to bowl as well but remained confident of adapting.
“We would have loved to bowl first, but it’s a great challenge either way. The team has been proactive, and the focus is on maintaining consistency and momentum,” Iyer said.
Punjab made two changes, with Suryansh Shedge replacing Shashank Singh, while Lockie Ferguson came in for Xavier Bartlett.
Playing XIs
Punjab Kings: Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Priyansh Arya, Shreyas Iyer (c), Cooper Connolly, Suryansh Shedge, Nehal Wadhera, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Lockie Ferguson, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal.
Rajasthan Royals: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Riyan Parag (c), Donovan Ferreira, Ravindra Jadeja, Dasun Shanaka, Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger, Brijesh Sharma, Yash Raj Punja.
Impact Substitutes
Punjab Kings: Vishnu Vinod, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Xavier Bartlett, Harpreet Brar, Musheer Khan.
Rajasthan Royals: Ravi Bishnoi, Ravi Singh, Tushar Deshpande, Shubham Dubey, Shimron Hetmyer.
Punjab Kings entered the match unbeaten this season, while Rajasthan Royals are aiming to bounce back after recent defeats.
Pitch Report
The pitch at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur is expected to favour batters, with a high-scoring contest on the cards. According to broadcasters Danny Morrison and Deep Dasgupta, the surface appears closer to the one that produced 219 rather than 162 in previous matches, offering good pace and carry with a slight sheen that should allow the ball to skid onto the bat. While early movement with the new ball could assist seamers, especially in the powerplay, bowlers will need to rely on discipline rather than extravagant assistance. The dimensions — 70 meters on one side, 64 on the other, and 74 straight — are relatively balanced, encouraging stroke play. Dew is unlikely to play a major role, and teams may prefer chasing to better assess a par score on what looks like a strong batting track.
