IPL 2026, PBKS vs RR Today Match: Shashank Singh was left out of the Punjab Kings playing XI for their IPL 2026 match against Rajasthan Royals, with captain Shreyas Iyer describing the change as “forced” at the toss.
“We have one forced change. Suryansh (Shedge) comes in for Shashank,” Iyer said, confirming the omission without detailing the exact reason.
Suryansh Shedge was brought into the XI as a replacement, while New Zealand pacer Lockie Ferguson also returned to the side in place of Xavier Bartlett.
Although no official explanation was provided, Shashank’s absence comes after a difficult outing in the field in recent matches, where he dropped multiple catches. He was also seen struggling with a hamstring issue in the previous game, which may have contributed to the decision.
Punjab Kings have been in dominant form this season, remaining unbeaten and sitting at the top of the points table. The team has relied heavily on its batting strength, while continuing to adjust its bowling combinations.
Ferguson’s inclusion is expected to strengthen the pace attack as Punjab look to maintain their unbeaten run against Rajasthan Royals.
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
