Punjab Kings vs Rajasthan Royals, 40th Match, Indian Premier League 2026 - CommentaryPBKS vs RR, 40th Match, Indian Premier League 2026 - Commentary

It has taken PK their 8th match to lose this season. And it needed controlled aggression from RR right the way through in the chase, which they did. On that note, time for us to end things for the night. We will be back tomorrow for MI v SRH which should be a good game, hopefully. See you there. Bye bye for now.

Donovan Ferreira | Player of the Match: "Yeah, I think it was a good innings. Just really keeping my mind nice and clear, exactly the same as when I was a kid playing with a toy truck. Just taking it ball by ball. I just kept on telling the guys, we need to be positive. It's not that hard to get that score. But we need to keep showing intent. We mustn't be predictable and just swing for every ball. So let's be calculated and play good cricket shots. (batting under pressure) I think it's important to really just take it ball by ball and not look too far ahead. I just kept on reminding myself it's only 12s, 10s, you know, that's one good over and then the game becomes a lot simpler. And, you know, luckily for me, Shubham came in and took a lot of pressure off me, played a really crucial knock over there. And I knew if I just stayed there and not lose my wicket, then I can catch up in one over. So luckily for me, that happened in the second or the last over off Lockie's bowling. (what does this win do to the team and him?) Yeah, well, I mean, I think you need to win games to stay on top of the table. We're in the top four. It's a long tournament, so we just keep reminding ourselves that different guys need to put their hands up. We can't just rely on our openers, which have been really good for us. So yeah, I'm really pleased that I'm hitting the ball well and Shubham came in and did it as well. Jaiswal and them always setting it up in the couple.... of the first couple of overs. But it's important for us if it's your day, you need to step up and win the match for the team."

Riyan Parag | RR captain: "I think as a team, what we've discussed right before the start of the tournament, I feel we treat this as a game. I know everything around it, it has a lot of value, but for us, I think it's again, when we lost last game, it was about the mistakes, the errors, what we did well. Same thing today. I thought we could have restricted them for a little lower, but then the batters picked up the slack. But yeah, next game, I feel moving forward, we discuss about this, review it, and then move forward. (close to your best game tonight?) Yeah, 100%. I feel we could have bowled a few overs better here and there and batted a few overs better in the middle, but around, I'd say around 35 overs, but you're never going to get 40 overs, but then that aspiration has always to be that you've gonna play 40 overs of good cricket. (concerns from the middle-order this season) The concerns were apart from us, was from everyone else. Everyone watching, everyone commentating. That was their concerns, not our concerns. We trust our players and their abilities a lot. When the middle-order doesn't fire, the openers, number three and the lower order have to like pick it up. When the middle-order fires and someone from the top doesn't get runs or goes at a slower rate, we pick it up. So as a team, I feel we have confidence and trust in every one of them. All the reasons and all the worries are outside, not for us. (plan during the chase?) I think the plan was to keep wickets in hand, but not fall too behind the run-rate. The way the openers went, Vaibhav and Jaiswal, I feel it just made our jobs very easier as usual. But the tough part was after the powerplay, keeping that momentum, keeping going at 10 an over. I think right after the powerplay, we got like overs of five, eight and something like that. So we got behind a little bit, but then we picked it up again. (on Dubey-Ferreira stand) Absolutely. I think him and Don, the way they played, they took it away from Punjab. I honestly thought it was going to be a very neck-to-neck because they would bowl a little bit more slower balls after watching us bowl it. But yeah, I think the way they batted, immense, like commendable."

Yashasvi Jaiswal: (on Sooryavanshi) "Of course, it's amazing. I really enjoyed batting with him and he's playing amazing. So it's always, I'm always happy seeing the other end, the way he's hitting the ball. (on him being the older one in the partnership with Sooryavanshi) I don't think so. I'm older. I'm still very young, but of course, the way he is and he's quite young. So, I don't know what to say about it, to be honest. (plan for the chase?) Of course, we knew that it's a high-scoring ground. So we have to keep the intent and we have to go whenever we feel like. So I was also thinking, okay, if it is in my range, so I'm gonna hit it. And of course, like we needed good start because we are scoring, we have to score 200, more than 200 runs. So it was pretty clear that we are going to hit the ball if it is in our arc. (on the changes in the middle-order tonight) I think it's been pretty good. Everyone trust each other and of course, everyone, they are not going to perform at the same day. But of course, we have a very good, good team. So we are practicing hard. We focus on process and I think it will come on a right time whenever it has to. I think we all are enjoying a lot. Very nice environment. Very happy all, all, all the guys and we are loving it. So we are just very excited for all the games. (on him having the freedom at the top) I think it's all about having fun in the middle. And of course, we know this game is like that also. We have to, we have to keep our intent and think to score runs as we all spread this into the dressing room if we get someone. So we, we should go for them. And yeah, just we are enjoying it."

Shreyas Iyer | PBKS captain: (where did it go wrong?) "I thought 224 on the board was a brilliant score. Kudos to the batsmen, the way they came up and they went against the bowlers. I think it was an exceptional performance, especially on this wicket, which was a bit tacky and slow. And I think we fell a bit short in our bowling, in terms of execution. We had planned to bowl a lot of slower ones, pace off, yorkers. I think we fell a bit short over there. And also, they had tremendous partnership in the middle, especially by Ferreira and Shubham Dubey coming in and scoring those crucial runs at the end. (on the bowling unit which has struggled this season) See, this is the format where I feel that a lot of players have changed their game and when they come in, they go bang from ball one. So it's an arduous task for bowlers to come with a certain plan. But at the end of the day, I feel it's all about execution. If you have a certain plan set, when you execute it well, you come out triumphs. And today it just wasn't our day. (what do you say to try and get back to winning ways?) I think it's important that we stick to the things that we've been doing, the routines and the processes that we've been following throughout. We had a match, we had to travel and then come and play another game. So I think the body was also a bit fatigued, but that can't be the reason over here. But we've got couple of days to refresh, go back to the drawing board and come back strong. (learnings from this loss) Well, absolutely. I feel that this is our first loss of the season, so it definitely teaches you a lot. And also, we've played a lot of games where we have chased 200-plus, we have defended 200-plus. So this is just one of those games where things didn't go our way and we just have to push it aside. And I feel that in retrospect, many things could have happened, but I just want to stay positive going ahead and be optimistic in our approach. (on Harpreet Brar) Yes, absolutely. I felt that it was difficult to score off the spinners because it was holding a bit and it was offering them a little bit of turn as well. Not that much, but a little bit. But Harpreet Brar, yes, coming in his first game, showing that kind of personality where he just gives 25 runs off four balls [overs] and turning out to be the best bowler in the team. I think hats off to him, the way he kept his approach and his attitude throughout this game. (new venue - Dharamsala, what does that do?) Nothing, just win (smiles)."

Stats by Shashikant Singh

First loss for PBKS in this season 
PBKS were the only team without losing in the first seven games of an IPL season
RR have won all three games against PBKS at Mullanpur

Successful 200-plus run-chases for RR in IPL
224 vs PBKS, Sharjah, 2020
224 vs KKR, Kolkata, 2024
223 vs PBKS, Mullanpur, 2026*
215 vs Deccan, Hyderabad, 2008
210 vs GT, Jaipur, 2025
202 vs RCB, Guwahati, 2026

This is also the highest successful chase at Mullanpur in T20s, bettering the 200 runs chased by PBKS vs SRH earlier this season.

Most times successfully chasing 200+ in IPL
10 - PBKS
6 - MI
6 - RR*
5 - SRH
5 - RCB 

Most defeats defending 200+ targets in IPL
8 - PBKS*
7 - RCB
6 - CSK 
5 - KKR

Most 200+ successful chases in an IPL season
9 in 2025 
9* in 2026
8 in 2023
6 in 2024

Most expensive bowling figures for PBKS in IPL
1/69 - Xavier Bartlett vs DC, Delhi, 2026
1/68 - Arshdeep Singh vs RR, Mullanpur, 2026* 
0/66 - Mujeeb Ur Rahman vs SRH, Hyderabad, 2019
1/66 - Arshdeep Singh vs MI, Mohali, 2023

PBKS won 3 out of 4 games at Mullanpur this season. They have won only 3 out of 10 games across the previous two seasons.

22:56 Local Time, 17:26 GMT, 22:56 IST: A fantastic chase from RR and no wonder they are all smiles. The move to bat Donovan Ferreira at 5 and also Shubham Dubey as the impact sub has proved to be fine moves. It was set up by the kid-monster - Sooryavanshi who went ballistic at the top once again. That put RR on track and then once he got out, Jaiswal took over. But Chahal put the brakes on in the middle overs. His spell where he took three wickets put PK on the front foot. After Parag got out, RR sent in Dubey as the impact sub and along with Ferreira, the duo took their side home. Both showing off their striking. It was Dubey who started off really well and then Ferreira finished it off. A morale-boosting win this for RR who get back to winning ways after their loss to SRH. A first loss for PK this season but they still stay top of the table. Stay tuned for the post-match stuff...

Last over and just 2 needed. Sooryavanshi and Jaiswal ready to celebrate. Jansen to bowl.

18 off 12. Should be easy for RR.