The big game on 28 April features a tactical battle where Arshdeep Singh needs a clear plan to stop the dangerous Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Punjab Kings (PBKS) are currently flying high at the top of the table with seven wins in a row, while Rajasthan Royals (RR) are in fourth place with five wins from eight games.
The 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been incredibly aggressive this season, racking up 357 runs at a strike rate of 234.86, including a record-breaking 37-ball century. To keep the teenager quiet, former Test star Cheteshwar Pujara suggested that Arshdeep Singh should follow Mohsin Khan’s lead by hitting a hard back-of-length on a middle and off-stump line from over the wicket.
The pressure is on at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh PCA Stadium as it hosts this vital IPL 2026 match between two teams with very different momentum. Punjab Kings come into this as the only unbeaten side in the tournament, counting on their local star to get them early wickets in the powerplay.
Meanwhile, Rajasthan Royals are looking for more consistency after a bumpy run, hoping their young batting star can throw the bowlers off their rhythm right from the start. This match is also a milestone moment, as the PBKS pace leader recently became the first bowler to take 100 wickets for the team.
Breaking down the matchup on Star Sports’ ‘Game Plan’, Cheteshwar Pujara talked about the specific tweaks needed to handle the RR opener. He pointed out that as a left-arm seamer, bowling over the wicket allows Arshdeep to angle the ball away from the left-handed teenager.
This angle makes the batter reach for balls moving away from his body, making it much more likely he’ll find a thick edge. Pujara highlighted Mohsin Khan’s recent success, where he managed a rare maiden over and got the young left-hander out by sticking to a disciplined line and length.
The veteran batsman added that the PBKS spearhead should focus on hitting a "hard length" for the first few balls of his spell. By keeping it on a middle and off-stump line at a back-of-length, he can stop the batter from getting under the ball for his usual big hits.
On top of that, Pujara suggested mixing in slower balls once the batsman gets used to the pace, as Arshdeep has great control over his variations. He also noted that a well-timed yorker could be the perfect surprise to catch Vaibhav Sooryavanshi off guard. A win for the home team today will depend mostly on how well Arshdeep Singh can put these tactics into practice on the field.
“Arshdeep, I think he, being a left-arm seamer, will come over the stumps for Vaibhav. He will have to ensure that he bowls that middle and off-stump plan, where the ball is going away from him. We have seen that when Moshin was bowling against Vaibhav, he got that success against him. Arshdeep will have to do a similar thing,” said Pujara on Star Sports’ ‘Game Plan’.
“Try and bowl back of length on the middle and off-stump line. Try to keep hitting that channel more often, and also try to utilise his slower deliveries because Arshdeep has very good slower deliveries,” he added.
