IPL 2026: Punjab Kings Lost First Match Of IPL 2026 To Rajasthan Royals By 4 Wickets. Punjab Kings were handed their first defeat of IPL 2026 by a superb Rajasthan Royals performance. Rajasthan Royals chased down a massive target in a high-scoring thriller. PBKS posted 222/4, but RR responded with 228/4 in just 19.2 overs. The result highlighted RR’s dominance and composure under pressure.
PBKS build a commanding total
Punjab Kings started aggressively after being put into bat. Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh provided a quick opening stand. PBKS reached 65/1 in the powerplay with fluent strokeplay. Prabhsimran anchored the innings with 59 off 44 balls. Shreyas Iyer and Cooper Connolly maintained the scoring momentum. Marcus Stoinis finished strongly with 62 off just 22 balls. PBKS ended with an imposing total of 222/4.
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RR’s fearless chase sets the tone
Rajasthan Royals started their batting with an aggressive approach. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi scored a rapid 43 off 16 balls. Yashasvi Jaiswal scored an important half-century during the middle overs. RR scored runs at a fast pace throughout their entire batting period. The team continued to chase their target successfully even after losing multiple players.
Ferreira and Dubey finish in style
Donovan Ferreira and Shubham Dubey sealed the chase with a match-winning partnership. They added 77 runs off just 32 balls under pressure. Ferreira remained unbeaten and controlled the finishing phase brilliantly. RR completed the chase with four balls to spare. Their partnership completely took the game away from PBKS.
The powerplay period controlled by RR established their power lead, which elapsed until their successful chase. Sooryavanshi’s powerful batting performance destroyed PBKS’ entire bowling unit. Jaiswal provided consistent performance during the middle overs of the game. Ferreira and Dubey’s aggressive stand crushed any comeback hopes. PBKS struggled to control runs during crucial phases.
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The Rajasthan Royals completed one of the most successful chases of the season. PBKS recorded a strong 65/1 in the powerplay. Prabhsimran Singh registered another fifty in IPL 2026. Marcus Stoinis delivered one of the fastest fifties for PBKS. RR have now won all three matches played against PBKS in Mullanpur.