punjab kings Continued his aggressive batting form ipl 2026 Because he posted another big score, but Rajasthan Royals young man Yash Raj Punja He ensured his team remained in the competition with a brilliant spell of spin in Match 40 at the Maharaja Yadvendra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh.
RR captain Mo after winning the toss Riyan Parag Opted to bowl first, hoping to contain Punjab’s in-form batting lineup. However, PBKS once again showed why they are unbeaten this season by posting a strong score of 222/4 in 20 overs. Amidst the batting fireworks, young spinner Yash dismissed two dangerous batsmen and briefly brought the momentum back in Rajasthan’s favour.
Yashraj Punja beats Cooper Connolly and Prabhsimran Singh
When Punja was brought into the attack, Punjab were moving comfortably and the spinner responded with maturity beyond his years.
His first success came on the second ball of the ninth over when he cheated cooper connolly With a well disguised googly. Bowled full and outside off, the delivery pushes the batsman into a big slog down the ground. Connolly made a maximum effort but only succeeded in lofting it towards long-off.
Donovan Ferreira Got under the skier and completed a safe catch, giving Rajasthan a much-needed wicket. Punja’s loud celebration reflected the importance of the success as PBKS were dominant till then. Connolly departed after a useful contribution of 30 which helped keep the scoring rate up.
Punja again hit a four on the last ball of the 14th over and this time removed the good set. Prabhsimran SinghWho looked dangerous after crossing the half-century. Sensing the batsman’s attacking intent, Punja cleverly slowed down the pace and bowled the leg-break outside off. Prabhsimran advanced down the pitch but failed to get down to the ball, resulting in a mistimed shot.
Captain Parag positioned himself perfectly near extra cover and completed the catch calmly, ending Prabhasimran’s excellent innings of 59 runs from 44 balls. The dismissal highlighted Punja’s game awareness and tactical bowling, especially given that he was given priority in the playing eleven over the in-form Ravi Bishnoi.
Here is the video:
Cooper Connolly ✅
Prabhsimran Singh ✅Young Yashraj Punja steps up to the challenge today! 👏
Update ▶️ https://t.co/fBbdVnF5Fx#TATAIPL | #khelbindaas | #PBKSvRR | @RajasthanRoyals pic.twitter.com/sQP6n0CokE
– IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) 28 April 2026
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Stormy end of Marcus Stoinis
Despite Punja’s efforts, Punjab Kings still managed to post another intimidating score. opening batter Priyansh Arya Added 29 runs while being captain Shreyas Iyer Scored with 30. However, this is where the real finishing blow came from marcus stoinisWho carried out a brutal attack late at night. The Australian all-rounder scored 62 runs off just 22 balls, hitting four fours and six sky-high sixes, taking PBKS past 220. With 222/4 on the board, Punjab once again underlined their title credentials, but Yash’s magic gave Rajasthan Royals a ray of hope in a one-sided contest.
Also read: IPL 2026: This is why Shimron Hetmyer and Ravi Bishnoi are not playing today’s PBKS vs RR match