Rajasthan Royals beat Punjab Kings by 6 wickets. (Image: BCCI/IPL) Donovan Ferreira and Shubham Dubey produced a sensational finish to stitch an unbeaten partnership of 77 runs off just 32 balls to guide Rajasthan Royals to a thrilling six-wicket win over Punjab Kings in Match 40 of IPL 2026 at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, New Chandigarh.After 14 overs and the required pace climbing above 12, the chase settled down and the duo turned the game on its head. Ferreira and Dubey targeted a pace attack and took advantage when the spinners were out of the attack. Arshdeep Singh was smashed for three boundaries in the over while Marco Jansen also missed out on a crucial run. Their fearless batting ensured that RR cruised home with ease and handed PBKS their first defeat of the season.
Sooryavanshi sets the tone
Earlier, Rajasthan’s chase was ignited by a stunning cameo from 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. After being bowled by Yashasvi Jaiswal, the youngster made an immediate impact.Despite Arshdeep starting with accurate yorkers, Sooryavanshi attacked brilliantly and smashed 6, 4, 4 in the opening over. He continued his onslaught against Lockie Ferguson and Jansen, racing to 43 from just 16 balls (3 fours, 5 sixes) before being dismissed.In the process, he reached 400 runs in just 167 balls at a staggering strike rate of 238.09, the fastest in an IPL season. RR stormed to 66/1 in just four overs, setting the stage for the chase.After Sooryavanshi’s dismissal, Yashasvi Jaiswal took charge and played a composed but aggressive knock. He brought up his fifty off 26 balls and finished with 51 off 27 balls. However, PBKS fought back through Yuzvendra Chahal, who removed both Jaiswal and Riyan Parag (29) in quick succession. Along with a slow Dhruv Jurel 16 off 20, RR’s momentum dipped and they managed just 25 runs in four overs.At one stage the equation read 100, needing 52 balls, with the pressure firmly back on Rajasthan. Just as PBKS struggled to regain control, Ferreira and Dubey flipped the script. With clean batting and calm composure, they dismantled the bowling attack in the deadly overs.Ferreira led the charge with a scintillating 52 while Dubey played a perfect supporting role as RR chased down the target in 19.2 overs without losing another wicket. Earlier: Stoinis Powers PBKS on 222Punjab Kings batted first, posting a strong 222/4 thanks to a late burst from Marcus Stoinis (62 off 22).Prabhsimran Singh (59) anchored the innings while Cooper Connolly (30) and Shreyas Iyer (30) chipped in with useful contributions. Stoinis’ explosive finish saw PBKS cross the 220-point mark.
A brief score
Kings Punjab: 222/4 (Stoinis 62*, Prabhsimran 59; Yash Punja 2/41, Archer 1/40)Rajasthan Royals: 228/4 (Ferreira 52*, Jaiswal 51; Chahal 3/36)Rajasthan Royals won by 6 wickets
