In a contest with exciting openers, RR aim to test PBKS' invincibility

As a partnership, Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya have blasted 323 runs this season at a strike rate of 14.9. On all parameters they stand a distant first as the most explosive opening pair in IPL 2026. Call it the strength of explosive richness that exists in the tournament, but to have been left behind at third on this list is not something that Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi would want to take too lightly. Against the bowling attack that has been among the weakest in the powerplay this season, the Rajasthan Royals openers would want to set the record straight.

Their best opportunity comes on Tuesday in New Chandigarh, against the only unbeaten side in the tournament.

Rajasthan Royals have lost three of their last four matches, sliding down the points table after starting with a four-match winning streak. They'd be desperate for their openers to lead the charge and return to winning ways.

The challenge won't be easy. Punjab Kings have shown they can make all totals look chaseable, as evidenced by their win against Delhi Capitals on Saturday. Riyan Parag is aware of the threat but hopeful that the pitch at New Chandigarh Stadium won't be as kind to the hosts as it was at Arun Jaitley Stadium.

However, unlike last season, Punjab Kings have won all three matches at the venue and are well-placed to expose the weaknesses of the Royals line-up. The lack of returns from Riyan Parag and Shimron Hetmyer has been the biggest concern, followed by the repeated inability to sustain momentum after quick starts from the top-order.

Punjab, despite their collective success, have their own problems. Beyond ineffectiveness in powerplays with the ball, they have dropped the most catches this season—holding on to only 70% of chances. Their batting, especially the top four, has come as a cushion.

The battle between the four openers could be the highlight at a venue that has seen high scores this season. But the twist could lie elsewhere. Parag would be hopeful that Royals' new-ball pair of Jofra Archer and Nandre Burger find more success than they did in the previous game.

When: Punjab Kings vs Rajasthan Royals, Tuesday, April 28, 2026, 7:30 PM IST

Where: Maharaj Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, New Chandigarh

What to expect: Another run-fest could be on the cards. The average first innings score at the venue this season has been 212. Given the explosive line-ups, don't be surprised if that mark is crossed.

Head to head: Rajasthan Royals hold a 17-13 advantage over PBKS, and have beaten them on both occasions at the venue. Since 2022, the two sides have had a near-equal battle, with Royals holding a narrow 4-3 edge.

Injuries/Unavailability: Lockie Ferguson, unavailable for the first seven games for PBKS, joined the squad in New Delhi.

Tactics & Matchups: Marcus Stoinis has dismissed Yashasvi Jaiswal thrice in a 33-ball face-off. The Australian seamer could be summoned early if the southpaw gets going.

Probable XII: Prabhsimran Singh, Priyansh Arya, Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer, Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Xavier Bartlett, Marco Jansen, Vijaykumar Vyshakh, Yuzvendra Chahal

Injuries/Unavailability: Sandeep Sharma, recovering from a side strain, has missed the last three games for Royals. No update on his availability as yet.

Tactics & Matchups: Ravindra Jadeja may have dismissed Shreyas Iyer only once in a 76-ball face-off in T20s, but the left-arm spinner has historically kept the spin-basher in check, conceding only 74 runs. The middle-overs battle could be interesting.

Probable XII: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Riyan Parag, Shimron Hetmyer, Donovan Ferreira, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger, Tushar Deshpande, Brijesh Sharma

• RR have picked most wickets (20) at an average of 22.0 in the powerplay this season—best among all teams. PBKS picked just 8 wickets at an average of 52.25 and conceded at 10.53.
• PBKS have dropped 12 catches this season; their catching efficiency is 70.0%—the second worst after Delhi Capitals. RR have dropped just six catches, the joint-second fewest, with a catch success rate of 87.5%—the second best after KKR.
• Punjab Kings have been the only team unchanged this season.

"They chased down a big score, yes, in Delhi, but Chandigarh is a new ground and a new wicket, a new soil. Hopefully, it doesn't go to that extent. We'd like to restrict them for lower." — Riyan Parag, Rajasthan Royals skipper

"We discussed that in the previous games, we chased around 220-225 with two overs left. The mindset was similar. Get as many runs as possible in the powerplay and they just went bonkers from ball one and steadied the ship. The rest of us wanted to capitalise on the start." — Shreyas Iyer, Punjab Kings skipper after the record chase against Delhi Capitals