IPL 2026: Ferreira, Shubham steal show as Rajasthan Royals defeat Punjab Kings by six-wicket

Punjab Kings’ unbeaten run in the IPL 2026 came to an end as they suffered a six-wicket defeat to Rajasthan Royals in Mullanpur. Batting first, the hosts had a perfect start to the game, with openers Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya setting the tone of the game. Keeper-batter Prabhsimran, who is in remarkable form in the ongoing season, registered yet another half-century, as Punjab were on song.

After he departed for 59 runs, the middle order stumbled for a while, as captain Shreyas Iyer struggled to keep the scoreboard ticking. He made 30 runs off 27 balls as Punjab needed a strong finish to post a healthy total on the board. That is when Marcus Stoinis launched a scathing attack, smashing unbeaten 62 runs off just 22 balls as Punjab posted 222 runs on the board in the first innings.

Chasing 223 runs, Rajasthan needed their top order to deliver. Especially as their middle order has underperformed so far. Now, like in most matches, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Yashasvi Jaiswal took the responsibility upon themselves and handed Rajasthan a cracking



start.

The 15-year-old Sooryavanshi once again decimated the opponent bowlers, scoring 43 runs off 16 balls. Jaiswal, on the other hand, made 51 from 27. Once they departed, things looked tight in the middle, but Riyan Parag released some in the middle, adding 29 off 16. However, Rajasthan needed something special in the death overs to get the job done.

There were doubts if Rajasthan’s finishers could help them cross the distance, especially when they have struggled all season. However, against Punjab, Donovan Ferreira and Shubham Dubey played some sensational cricket, showing no mercy against a quality PBKS bowling unit. Yuzvendra Chahal produced some magic in the middle, claiming three wickets, but Donovan and Shubham were ready for all the challenge, chasing 223 runs with four balls remaining. They remained unbeaten on 52 and 31 runs respectively. 

With that, Punjab’s streak ended, but they remain at the top of the table with 13 points. RCB and RR are second and third, respectively, having accumulated 12 points each.