Kamal Ghorui
Punjab Kings and Rajasthan Royals will clash in the IPL 2026 match in New Chandigarh on Tuesday with attention on the opening batters from both sides.Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Priyansh Arya, and Prabhsimran Singh have all been in brilliant form this season, and the contest is being viewed as a battle between two of the explosive opening pairs.Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya have scored 323 runs this season at a strike rate of 14.9. Among opening pairs, they are currently at the top in terms of runs and run-rate in IPL 2026.Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi have scored at 11.82 runs per over this season and are ranked third among opening pairs in terms of run-rate. They are behind Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head, who are second with a run rate of 12.24.Highest run rate for opening partnership in IPL 2026 so far:
On the other hand, Jaiswal and Sooryavanshi, along with Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head, are tied for the highest partnership runs (400) for any wicket this season, with an average of 50.Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh are third in the opening partnership list with 323 runs in six innings at an average of 53.83. Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan are second with 344 runs in seven innings.Highest partnership runs for any wicket – minimum 5 innings or 5 parternships
Jaiswal and Sooryavanshi have recorded four fifty-plus partnerships this season. Arya and Prabhsimran have two fifty-plus stands and one century stand of 126 runs.Rajasthan Royals have depended largely on their top order for runs, while Punjab Kings’ middle and lower order have contributed more in comparison.The match is expected to feature a high-scoring contest. Rajasthan Royals will be looking for improved performances from their bowlers, including Jofra Archer and Nandre Burger, after they failed to defend 229 against SRH.Riyan Parag will lead Rajasthan Royals as they face a Punjab Kings side that are still unbeaten this season under the Shreyas Iyer and sit at top of the points table.
