Kings of Punjab Brabhasimran Singh and Priyansh Arya (AP Photo)
Punjab Kings produced a stunning response to Delhi Capitals’ huge total, with Priyansh Arya and Prabhasimran Singh providing openers up front and rewriting the Powerplay annals in IPL 2026.Chasing an arduous 264 after KL Rahul’s unbeaten 152 and Nitish Rana’s 91 pushed Delhi to 264 for 2, Punjab needed a bold start. What followed was one of the most exciting displays of power in IPL history. Arya and Prabhsimran took DC’s bowlers to the cleaners, racing to their 100 in just 5.2 overs, the second-fastest team hundred in IPL history. Only Sunrisers Hyderabad have done faster, reaching the mark in 5 overs against Delhi at the same venue in 2024.
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By the end of the Powerplay, Punjab had risen to 116 without loss, the second highest powerplay total ever in the IPL. The opening duo showed no signs of pressure despite aggressively chasing and attacking from the start and maintaining a relentless scoring rate.Arya set the tone early with a strong start, taking the attack to the bowlers in the powerplay. His aggressive intent matched perfectly with Prabbhasimran, who continued his fine form with a stunning attack of his own.
The right-hander raced to 71 not out just 23 balls in the powerplay, registering one of the highest individual scores in an over 1-6 in IPL history.The duo’s approach completely flipped the story of the match. What looked like an imposing total soon began to feel within reach as Delhi’s bowlers struggled to contain the flow of runs. Boundaries came at will, and fielding became ineffective as both batsmen found gaps with ease and cleared the ropes regularly.The stand was eventually broken after the powerplay, but not before significant damage was done. Arya was dismissed for 43 off 17 balls, falling to skipper Axar Patel, while Prabhisimran’s explosive innings ended at 76 off just 26 deliveries when he was trapped lbw by Kuldeep Yadav.Earlier, Delhi Capitals dominated the proceedings with the bat. Rahul’s 152 not out, the highest score by an Indian in IPL history, and Rana’s 91 came in a record 220-run partnership off just 96 balls. The effort created what looked like a game-winning total.