Kings XI Punjab produced a stunning response to Delhi Capitals’ huge total as openers Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh struck out to rewrite the Powerplay record books in IPL 2026.Chasing the daunting 264 Kuala Lumpur RahulUnbeaten 152 and Nitish RanaDelhi’s 91 for 2 and 264 for 2, Punjab needed a fearless start. What followed was one of the most explosive powerplay performances in IPL history. Arya and Prabhsimran annihilated DC’s bowlers to complete their 100 in just 5.2 overs, the second-fastest century for a team in IPL history. Only Sunrisers Hyderabad have been faster and they reached the mark in 5 games against Delhi in 2024 at the same venue.By the end of the powerplay, Punjab had surged to 116 without defeat, the second-highest powerplay total in IPL history. Despite the intense pursuit, the opening pair showed no sign of pressure, attacking from the start and maintaining a relentless scoring rate.Arya set the tone with a sizzling start right from the start, attacking the bowlers in the powerplay. Prabhu Simran’s attacking intentions suited him perfectly and the latter continued his good form with a stunning attack. The right-hander scored 71 runs off just 23 balls in the powerplay, recording one of the highest individual scores in 1-6 overs in IPL history.What the two did was completely subvert the narrative of the game. What looked like an impressive total soon began to feel within reach as Delhi’s bowlers struggled to contain the runs. Boundaries came at will and the fielding became ineffective as both batsmen found gaps with ease and cleared the ropes at regular intervals.The bracket eventually broke after the power play, but not before significant damage was done. Arya was dismissed for 43 off 17 balls and lost the captaincy Axar Pateland Prabhsimran’s explosive innings ended with 76 runs off just 26 deliveries when he was caught lbw by Kuldeep Yadav.Earlier, Delhi Capitals dominated the match with the bat. Rahul’s 152 not out was India’s highest score in IPL history and Rana’s 91 not out set a record-breaking 220-run partnership off just 96 balls. The effort seemed to seal the game.
