CSK Outplayed as Sooryavanshi’s Blazing Knock Powers RR to a Dominant 8-Wicket Win

Guwahati: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi slammed a blistering 52 off just 17 balls as Rajasthan Royals launched their IPL 2026 campaign with a thumping eight-wicket victory over Chennai Super Kings at the ACA Stadium on Monday. 

Sooryavanshi’s fifty came in only 15 deliveries, the third fastest in IPL history, to set up the win for RR. His knock, laced with four fours and five sixes, propelled RR to 74 without loss in the power-play, effectively sealing the contest in their favour.

Though he fell soon after, Yashasvi Jaiswal (38 not out) and skipper Riyan Parag (14 not out) calmly completed the formalities to complete the chase with 47 balls to spare and cap off a dominant performance that began with a disciplined bowling effort to bowl CSK out for 127.

RR had a flying start as Matt Henry’s opening over went for 18 runs, with Sooryavanshi pulling and driving for boundaries (including Kartik Sharma dropping him for zero) while Jaiswal glanced him fine for four.

Khaleel Ahmed thought he had Sooryavanshi lbw on the first ball of his spell, but review showed the ball going over leg stump. Jaiswal played watchfully even as Sooryavanshi continued to attack to keep the runs flowing.

Henry’s second over was taken apart by Sooryavanshi - slashing a slower ball over backward point for six, while Jaiswal muscled Khaleel straight over mid-off for four. Anshul Kamboj was greeted with three boundaries as Sooryavanshi ramped and tickled him over third man and fine leg before smashing a six over long-on, as RR crossed the fifty-run mark.

Noor Ahmad’s introduction did little to stem the flow as Sooryavanshi launched consecutive sixes over long-on to bring up a blistering fifty off just 15 balls, as 19 runs came off the sixth over to take RR to 74/0 at the end of the power-play.

But just after that, Sooryavanshi attempted to flay a length ball over cover but Sarfaraz Khan ran in from the deep and completed a diving catch at deep extra cover to dismiss him for 52.

Dhruv Jurel kept the tempo going with four quick boundaries, before dragging one back onto his stumps off Anshul Kamboj while trying to scoop off him. Parag lofted and reverse-swept to get his four and six, while Jaiswal thumped one over long-off for six before getting the winning single to launch RR’s campaign with a thumping win.

Earlier, Rajasthan Royals pacers Jofra Archer and Nandre Burger ripped through Chennai Super Kings top-order before Ravindra Jadeja made a double-strike, as the visitors were bundled out for just 127.

Missing the calming presence of MS Dhoni and Dewald Brevis, CSK’s young batting unit faltered on a red-soil pitch offering early assistance to bowlers, thanks to some pre-match drizzle. Archer and Burger made the ball talk to pick two wickets each while Jadeja had two in the eighth over in a disciplined bowling performance for RR.

Only Jamie Overton showed fight, counterattacking at number eight with a gritty 43 off 36 balls that lifted CSK from 84/8 to a total showing some semblance of respectability. But the total remained well below-par, leaving RR with a golden opportunity to start their campaign on a winning note under new full-time captain Riyan Parag.

Archer began by swinging the ball both ways to trouble Sanju Samson and Ruturaj Gaikwad in the opening over. Nandre Burger then made the first breakthrough by knocking over Samson for 6 with a delivery that shaped away and crashed into the off-stump.

Archer returned to remove Gaikwad in his second over - the CSK skipper backed away to access the off-side but missed a straight ball and was bowled for six. Burger intensified the collapse in the third over as Ayush Mhatre fell for a golden duck - gloving a bouncer to keeper Dhruv Jurel, as RR got the decision in their favour on review.

Sarfaraz Khan came in as the impact substitute and began his resistance by pulling Burger for four and six in successive balls. After debutant Brijesh Sharma impressed by conceding only six runs in the fourth over, Sarfaraz kept counterattacking to keep the scoreboard ticking.

Sandeep Sharma struck immediately in the final over of power-play as Matthew Short, who struggled to get going, chipped a slower ball straight to mid-wicket for two, as CSK closed the power-play at 41/4. Post that, CSK suffered two major blows - Sarfaraz attempted a sweep off ex-CSK stalwart Ravindra Jadeja, but missed it and was trapped lbw for 17, while Shivam Dube holed out to long-off.

CSK’s slide continued as Brijesh Sharma beat Kartik’s inside edge, and trapped him plumb lbw for 18, while Noor Ahmed edged behind to Jurel off Archer and Ravi Bishnoi took a sharp caught and bowled chance after foxing Matt Henry with a googly. But thanks to Jamie Overton nailing boundaries alongside Anshul Kamboj, CSK were able to cross the 120-mark, before a complete confusion resulted in the former being run-out.

Brief Scores: Chennai Super Kings 127 in 19.4 overs (Jamie Overton 43, Kartik Sharma 18; Ravindra Jadeja 2-18, Jofra Archer 2-19) lost to Rajasthan Royals 128/2 in 12.1 overs (Vaibhav Sooryavanshi 52, Yashasvi Jaiswal 38 not out; Anshul Kamboj 2-27) by eight wickets. Agencies

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