Confidence is in abundance for Punjab Kings, who are gearing up to take on Rajasthan Royals in match 40 of the Indian Premier League 2026 on Tuesday at the New PCA Stadium. The Kings are carrying both momentum and the confidence after their thumping win against Delhi Capitals in their last game. Chasing an imperious 265 against the Delhi Capitals, Punjab overhauled it with ease, completing the highest successful chase ever.

For PBKS, Prabhsimran Singh has been among the runs, having 287 runs with three half-centuries in his last four innings. Priyansh Arya has also been in explosive form, making a big impact in the powerplay. Cooper Connolly and Shreyas Iyer's blistering form further strengthens their batting attack. On the other hand, Rajasthan Royals find themselves in a tough position. They began their campaign on a high note, winning four consecutive matches, but their recent struggles have made upcoming matches highly crucial.

One positive for RR has been the rise of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who has been a consistent performer for RR, piling up 357 runs in eight matches. The major problem for RR has been their overreliance on openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Once the opening stand is broken early, their other batters struggle to maintain momentum. Dhruv Jurel has been the promising batter with three fifties. However, the rest of the middle order has yet to deliver consistently. Riyan Parag and Shimron Hetmyer have both endured underwhelming campaigns so far. Now, with the tournament having reached the midway point, it will be important for RR to revive their campaign and bounce back strongly. 

Head-to-head

Matches - 30

PBKS won - 13

RR won - 17

PBKS probable XII: Prabhsimran Singh, Priyansh Arya, Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer, Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Xavier Bartlett, Marco Jansen, Vijaykumar Vyshakh, Yuzvendra Chahal

RR probable XII: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Riyan Parag, Shimron Hetmyer, Donovan Ferreira, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger, Tushar Deshpande, Brijesh Sharma