IPL 2026: Riyan Parag wins the toss; RR to bowl first against PBKS

Riyan Parag (File pic)

The Rajasthan Royals won the toss and elected to bowl first against the Punjab Kings at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur.

PBKS are currently at the top of the table and remain the only unbeaten team in the IPL so far. Meanwhile, RR sit fourth in the standings with 10 points.

After winning the toss, RR captain Riyan Parag expressed confidence in bowling first. He confirmed two changes to the playing XI, with Riyan Parag opting to leave out Shimron Hetmyer and bringing in Dasun Shanaka. Another change saw Bishnoi replaced by Yash Punja.

"We'll be bowling first. It looks like a pretty good wicket, but there was some cloud cover and a slight shower earlier, so there might be a bit of moisture at the start. We'll try to make the most of that, pick up early wickets, and hopefully chase it down. Two changes - Hetmyer sits out and Shanaka comes in. Bishnoi also goes out, and Yash Punja comes in. Pressure situations really test your character, and whoever holds their nerve comes through," Riyan Parag said.

PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer said he would have preferred to bowl first as well. He also reflected on his team's recent performance and remained optimistic about continuing their unbeaten run.

"We would have loved to bowl first too. I spoke to one of our team members, and he mentioned that the wicket had been covered for a couple of days due to bad weather. But regardless, batting or bowling, it's always a great challenge. As a team, we stay proactive irrespective of the toss decision. Suryansh Shedge and Lockie come in. Every individual has specific goals, and so far, things are going well," Shreyas Iyer said.

Confirmed Playing XI for both teams:

Rajasthan Royals (Playing XI): Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel(w), Riyan Parag(c), Donovan Ferreira, Ravindra Jadeja, Dasun Shanaka, Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger, Brijesh Sharma, Yash Raj Punja

Punjab Kings (Playing XI): Prabhsimran Singh(w), Priyansh Arya, Shreyas Iyer(c), Cooper Connolly, Suryansh Shedge, Nehal Wadhera, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Lockie Ferguson, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal