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Rajasthan Royals have won the toss and chosen to bowl first against Punjab Kings in Match 39 of IPL 2026 at Mullanpur.
PBKS vs RR: Here's what both captains said at the toss
Riyan Parag cited cloud cover and moisture in the surface as the primary reason for the decision, "a little bit of moisture in the start, so we're trying to extract that, get a few early wickets, and hopefully chase it down," he said.
Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer admitted he would have loved to field first as well, making this another toss where both captains wanted the same result. Iyer also took a moment before discussing the cricket to offer his condolences to Azmatullah Omarzai and his family following a bereavement, a reminder that sport carries human weight beyond the scorecard.
PBKS vs RR: Why Shimron Hetmyer and Bishnoi are both out of the RR XI
As per latest cricket news, Parag confirmed two changes for Rajasthan and both are significant in different ways. Shimron Hetmyer has been left out with Dasun Shanaka coming in to replace him, a tactical call rather than an injury decision, with Shanaka's all-round contribution giving Parag an extra bowling option in conditions that might offer something with the new ball.
Hetmyer is a pure batter and on a surface with moisture and cloud cover, the balance of having Shanaka available for his three or four overs clearly outweighed the hitting power Hetmyer brings in the middle overs.
Ravi Bishnoi has also been dropped with young Yash Raj Punja coming in, a selection that raises eyebrows given how influential Bishnoi has been for Rajasthan this season, but one that suggests the team management feel the Mullanpur surface demands a different bowling option than what Bishnoi provides today.
PBKS vs RR: What Punjab Kings are bringing to the match in place of Shashank Singh
Shreyas Iyer confirmed two forced changes for Punjab. Suryansh Shedge comes in for Shashank Singh and Lockie Ferguson replaces Xavier Bartlett, the latter returning to the XI after being rested, his heavy-lengths bowling likely to be more effective in the conditions than Bartlett's swing-based approach.
Iyer was characteristically measured about Punjab's consistency so far. "All the individuals in the team, we have a certain goal to achieve and we know the eventual goal. So far it's been going brilliant. We need to maintain the consistency and see to it that we keep the momentum," he said.
Punjab arrive at Mullanpur in a strong position in the table and RR's decision to bowl first sets up an intriguing contest between their batting depth and what Rajasthan's attack can extract from a surface that both captains agreed had something in it.
PBKS vs RR: Playing XIs
PBKS: Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Priyansh Arya, Shreyas Iyer (c), Cooper Connolly, Suryansh Shedge, Nehal Wadhera, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Lockie Ferguson, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal.
RR: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Riyan Parag (c), Donovan Ferreira, Ravindra Jadeja, Dasun Shanaka, Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger, Brijesh Sharma, Yash Raj Punja.
PBKS vs RR Impact Players
Rajasthan Royals Impact subs: Ravi Bishnoi, Ravi Singh, Tushar Deshpande, Shubham Dubey, Shimron Hetmyer
Punjab Kings Impact Subs: Vishnu Vinod, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Xavier Bartlett, Harpreet Brar, Musheer Khan
