Royals halt juggernaut: Rajasthan hand Shreyas Iyer’s Punjab first defeat of 2026

NEW CHANDIGARH: Punjab Kings’ dominant winning streak in the IPL has finally come to an end after Rajasthan Royals secured a thrilling six-wicket victory. Chasing a formidable target of 223, Rajasthan reached the mark in 19.2 overs with only four wickets down. Despite the loss, Punjab Kings remain at the top of the table with 13 points from eight matches.

Chase

The Royals’ pursuit was ignited by a blistering start from openers Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who smashed 43 off 16 balls, and Yashasvi Jaiswal, who anchored the early half with 51 off 27. While wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel struggled for timing during his 16 (20), and captain Riyan Parag fell for a quickfire 29 (16), the middle order stood firm.

Donovan Ferreira (52 off 26)* and Shubham Dubey (31 off 12)* clinical finish turned the tide, finding boundaries at will to close out the game. On the bowling front for Punjab, Yuzvendra Chahal was the standout performer with 3/36, while Arshdeep Singh claimed one wicket.

Punjab’s Powerplay

Earlier, batting first, Punjab Kings posted a massive 222/4. While the scoring rate dipped slightly during the middle overs, Marcus Stoinis provided a late-innings masterclass. The Australian all-rounder remained unbeaten on 62 off just 22 balls, a knock featuring four boundaries and six towering sixes.

The foundation was laid by Priyansh Arya (29 off 11) and Prabhsimran Singh (59 off 44), while both Cooper Connolly and captain Shreyas Iyer chipped in with 30 runs apiece. For Rajasthan, Yash Raj Punja was the most successful bowler with two wickets, while Jofra Archer and Nandre Burger claimed one each.