Punjab Kings And Rajasthan Royals by IPL 2026 They faced each other in Match 40 at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur, New Chandigarh, where both the teams made significant changes to their playing combinations. Captain of Rajasthan Royals Riyan Parag won the toss and elected to bowl first, hoping to make the most of the pitch in the light.
However, one of the biggest talking points before the start of the game was the two key Rajasthan players — Shimron Hetmyer And Ravi Bishnoi Absence of. His absence surprised many fans, especially considering the importance of this match in the race for the playoffs.
Why are Shimron Hetmyer and Ravi Bishnoi not playing?
Rajasthan Royals decided to go with two new faces, keeping Hetmyer and Bishnoi out of the playing XI. While captain Parag did not reveal any injury concerns or the specific reasons behind the decision, it appears to be a strategic move based on the team balance and match circumstances.
sri lankan allrounder Dasun Shanaka He replaced Hetmyer in the middle order, giving RR additional bowling options and finishing ability. Meanwhile, the young spinner Yash Raj Punja replaced Bishnoi, indicating that the franchise wanted a different spin combination for Mullanpur conditions.
During the toss, Parag apparently confirmed two changes.
“Two changes. Hetmyer is out, Dasun Shanaka is in. And there is one more change. Bishnoi is out and Yash Punja is in,” He said.
This decision reflects RR’s intention to adjust as per the circumstances and not stick with a fixed combination.
Lockie Ferguson finally debuts in IPL 2026
Punjab Kings also made two important changes in their lineup. captain Shreyas Iyer confirmed that Suryansh Shedge He replaced Shashank Singh, who had struggled to make an impact this season, particularly due to inconsistent fielding performances.
However, the biggest news for PBKS was the New Zealand fast bowler Lockie Ferguson The inclusion of, who finally played his first match of IPL 2026. Ferguson Australian fast bowler Xavier Bartlett and added serious pace and experience to Punjab’s bowling attack.
The Kiwi fast bowler had missed the initial part of the tournament due to personal reasons, but after recently joining the team, he finally got the opportunity to play in this high-pressure encounter.
Shreyas Iyer said during the toss, “Suryansh (Shedge) comes for Shashank and the other one comes for Lockie (Ferguson)
Playing XI of both the teams
Punjab Kings: Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Priyansh Arya, Shreyas Iyer (c), Cooper Connolly, Suryansh Shedge, Nehal Wadhera, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Lockie Ferguson, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal.
Rajasthan Royals: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Riyan Parag (c), Donovan Ferreira, Ravindra Jadeja, Dasun Shanaka, Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger, Brijesh Sharma, Yash Raj Punja
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