Punjab put a six-win record on the line at Mullanpur as Rajasthan arrive on a one-from-four run
Match 40 of IPL 2026 has the look of a fixture between two trajectories more than two equals. Punjab Kings come into the night top of the table, six wins in seven, with a washout in Lucknow the only thing keeping the column from reading 7-0. Rajasthan Royals arrive in fourth, level on points with Sunrisers Hyderabad after a five-wicket loss in Jaipur on April 25 left them with one win in their last four.
A new home that Rajasthan have already worked out
The Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium is meant to be Punjab's fortress. They are 3-0 there in IPL 2026, with first-innings totals over 200 in every game, and have built much of their points return on small boundaries and a quick outfield. The catch is that Rajasthan have visited Mullanpur twice before, in IPL 2024 and IPL 2025, and walked away with both wins. Across the full series the head-to-head is also Rajasthan's: 17-13 from 30 meetings.
Sooryavanshi against an attack that has not had to slow him down
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is the reason any Rajasthan game in this tournament feels live. The 15-year-old has produced two IPL hundreds across his first two seasons, including a 36-ball 103 against SRH at Jaipur on April 25, the third-fastest century in the competition. He has also become the first player to register three fifties in 15 balls or fewer in the same season. His 12 sixes in that SRH innings were the most by an Indian batter in any IPL match.
Punjab will look to Arshdeep Singh and Yuzvendra Chahal to slow him down before the powerplay runs out. Rajasthan, in turn, will be hoping the home middle order does not get to set the night's tempo through Prabhsimran Singh, captain Shreyas Iyer, Priyansh Arya and Cooper Connolly, all over 200 runs for the season.
What is at stake
A win moves Punjab to 15 points and turns playoff qualification from likely into close to a formality. A loss does not derail the season, but it ends the unbeaten line that has been the headline of this campaign. For Rajasthan the trip is closer to a must-win. They are fourth on net run rate alone, and with playoff places tightening across the table, every loss in the next two weeks risks pushing them out of the top four.
First ball at Mullanpur is at 7:30pm IST.
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