Rajasthan Royals end Punjab Kings' unbeaten run in a 450-run IPL 2026 thriller

Punjab Kings had gone the entire IPL 2026 season without losing a match. That changed on Monday night in New Chandigarh, where Rajasthan Royals chased down 223 with six wickets in hand and four balls to spare. It was the kind of game that makes T20 cricket impossible to ignore — two teams throwing punches from ball one, with the result in genuine doubt until the final few overs.

The match aggregate of 450 runs is the highest ever recorded between these two franchises in IPL history. That number alone tells you what kind of pitch and conditions were on offer at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Stadium. Bat dominated for long stretches, but RR's bowling group kept things tight enough in the middle overs to stay in the contest when it looked like PBKS might run away with it.

Punjab Kings set a big target but couldn't finish the job with the ball

PBKS posted 222 for 4 after being asked to bat first. Prabhsimran Singh got them off to a fast start with 59 off 44 balls, and Priyansh Arya continued his power-packed season with 29 off just 11 deliveries in the powerplay. Cooper Connolly chipped in with 30 off 14. None of them went on to convert, which is a pattern that has shown up for Punjab at times this season.

The innings was rescued and then accelerated by Marcus Stoinis, who came in late and smashed an unbeaten 62 off 22 balls. Six sixes, four boundaries — Stoinis barely had time to settle before he was in full swing. His last-over assault off Brijesh Sharma pushed PBKS past 220, a score that would have been winning on most nights. Not this one.

Jaiswal and Sooryavanshi gave RR the platform

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was breathless at the top. He hammered 43 off just 16 balls before Arshdeep Singh got him to slice one to mid-off. At that point Yashasvi Jaiswal took over, methodically building the innings while his partners attacked. Jaiswal reached his fifty off 26 balls and looked set for more before Yuzvendra Chahal had him slicing to long-off for 51.

Chahal was Punjab's best bowler on the night, picking up three wickets for 36 runs. He removed Dhruv Jurel and Riyan Parag in the middle phase to reduce RR to 151 for 4 at one stage. With 72 needed off 36 balls, the match had swung back toward PBKS. That's when things got interesting.

Ferreira and Dubey took the game away from Punjab

Donovan Ferreira had been traded into RR ahead of this season, and moments like this are exactly why. With the required rate climbing and Punjab's death bowlers warmed up, Ferreira kept his head completely clear. He finished on 52 not out off 26 balls, finding boundaries when they were needed and rotating strike when he had to.

Impact player Shubham Dubey came in at the 14th over and immediately took the pressure off Ferreira by going after anyone in his way. The two added 77 runs off just 32 balls for the fifth wicket. Arshdeep Singh went for 37 in his opening two overs and another 31 in his final two. Lockie Ferguson, playing his first game of the season, was smashed for 16 in the 19th. Punjab had no answers once that partnership took hold.

Ferreira hit the winning six over long-on off Marco Jansen to seal the chase with four balls remaining. It was his second IPL half-century and easily his most important one so far.

What this means for both sides

Punjab Kings still sit top of the IPL 2026 points table with 13 points from nine matches. One loss doesn't change their position, but it does expose a bowling unit that has started to look fragile in death overs. Shreyas Iyer acknowledged after the match that execution in the final overs let them down, and that 222 on a slow surface should have been enough.

Rajasthan Royals, meanwhile, move to third on the table with this win. Their top order continues to fire, and the middle order finally showed up when it mattered. For a side that had been under pressure to protect its top-four spot, this was a timely performance. RR's next assignment will test how repeatable this kind of run-chase really is.

For what it's worth, the record books now show 450 runs in a single PBKS-RR game. Whatever comes next in this season, that number isn't going anywhere.