Rajasthan Royals Opt to Bowl First Against Punjab Kings in IPL Clash

In an exciting IPL 2023 match, Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag won the toss and decided to field first against Punjab Kings. With PBKS aiming to keep their unbeaten record intact and RR looking to recover from recent losses, the match promises to be a thrilling encounter. Both teams have made strategic changes to their lineups, and the captains shared their thoughts on the match conditions. Read on for detailed insights into the playing XI and the captains' remarks.

By Narendra Chaudhary Apr 29, 2026, 02:07 IST

Match Overview

Mullanpur (Punjab) [India] - On April 28, Rajasthan Royals (RR) captain Riyan Parag won the toss and chose to field first against Punjab Kings (PBKS) during their IPL match in Mullanpur.

Punjab Kings are looking to maintain their unbeaten streak in the tournament, while Rajasthan Royals are eager to bounce back after suffering three losses in their last four matches. Currently, RR holds the fourth position on the points table with five victories and three defeats, totaling 10 points.

Captain's Insights

During the toss, Riyan Parag stated, “We will bowl first. The wicket appears to be in good condition, but there was some cloud cover and a brief shower, which might add a bit of moisture at the start. We aim to capitalize on that and secure some early wickets before chasing down the target.” He also announced two changes to the lineup: Shimron Hetmyer is out, and Dasun Shanaka is in, along with Yash Raj Punia replacing Ravi Bishnoi.

PBKS Captain's Remarks

On the other side, PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer extended his condolences to all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai, who recently lost his mother. Iyer mentioned, “We would have preferred to bowl first as well, given that the wicket was covered for a few days due to poor weather. Regardless of the toss outcome, we are prepared for the challenge ahead.” He confirmed that Suryansh Shedge and Lockie Ferguson are included in the playing XI.

Team Lineups

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

Impact subs:

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.