Match 40 of the Indian Premier League 2026 season between Punjab Kings and Rajasthan Royals is all set to be played on the 28th of April at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur. Punjab Kings have started strongly in this season and are currently one of the leading teams with 6 wins in 7 completed games. Their lone game against Mumbai Indians was abandoned due to rain. Shreyas Iyer and his team have displayed amazing performances this year and are looking determined to keep their winning streak alive. Rajasthan Royals had a phenomenal start to this season but their form has taken a bit of a dip lately. They are currently placed 4th on the points table with 5 wins and 3 losses from 8 matches and will be aiming to get back to winning ways at the earliest to seal their place in the playoff stages of the Indian Premier League 2026. Also Read | ‘Nobody Else Should Be Allowed’: Gavaskar Points Out Key Issues Calls for Strict BCCI Intervention Key player match-ups to look out for Shreyas Iyer vs Ravindra Jadeja This is undoubtedly the most exciting player match-up as both players have a brilliant record against each other in the IPL. Shreyas Iyer has scored 74 runs against Ravindra Jadeja with an average of 74 in 12 innings where he faced 76 balls and was only dismissed once. His ability to rotate the strike and score runs will be a good challenge for Jadeja. However Jadeja's bowling will always be a tough nut to crack and he is in a good wicket-taking form this year. Yashasvi Jaiswal vs Arshdeep Singh The left-handed opening batsman will face a left-handed Indian pacer in Arshdeep Singh in the powerplay. Jaiswal is someone who loves to take the aerial route when the field is up. In this scenario he would look to attack Arshdeep. He has smashed 58 runs at a strike-rate of 165.71 against the Punjab Kings' pacer in 7 innings and was dismissed twice. The early battle in this match could be a crucial one. Riyan Parag vs Yuzvendra Chahal Both players have had decent IPL seasons so far and this would be an exciting contest to watch. Riyan Parag has never been dismissed by Yuzvendra Chahal but has managed to score only 11 runs off 20 deliveries against the veteran spinner. The latter will look to break this spell and use his variations to trap the young batsman. Parag is someone who has been consistent in the middle order this season, so the performance against Chahal will definitely be watched by everyone. Punjab Kings will look to continue their stellar performance while the Royals will aim to climb up the table. The match on April 28 is poised to be an absolute thriller.