The third match of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 was a one-sided affair as Rajasthan Royals (RR) dismantled Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by eight wickets at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati.
The Yellow Army had a dreadful start with MS Dhoni out owing to a calf injury. As CSK opted to bat first, their top order fell against high-quality pace. RR’s bowlers executed their preparations flawlessly on a red-soil surface that provided early moisture. The overseas pace combo of Nandre Burger (2/26) and Jofra Archer (2/19) were devastating, frequently hitting over 145 kmph to scare the CSK openers’ stumps. Ravindra Jadeja, the “Prodigal Son,” made a fairytale comeback in pink, claiming two wickets for 18 runs in his first over, virtually halting CSK’s middle-order resurgence. Brijesh Sharma, a young rookie, too performed well, finishing with clinical results of 1/17.
The chase was a complete “Suryavanshi storm.” Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, a 15-year-old phenom, had one of the most spectacular cameos in IPL history, scoring 52 runs off just 17 balls. He hit five sixes in just 15 deliveries to achieve his half-century. By the time he walked out, RR had scored 75 runs in only 6.2 overs. Yashasvi Jaiswal (38) then took up the anchor position, delivering a controlled knock to RR home. Skipper Riyan Parag (14) also helped in the chase, securing the victory with 47 balls remaining.
For CSK with the bat, Sanju Samson (6), playing against his previous squad, fell in the opening over, followed by captain Ruturaj Gaikwad (6). At 19/3, the innings were in free fall. Sarfaraz Khan (17) and Shivam Dube (6) failed to give the required solidity. The sole saving grace was Jamie Overton’s tenacious knock at No. 8, batting 43 off 36 balls to enable CSK crawl to 127 all out.
While defending, Anshul Kamboj was the sole relative success story, picking up 2/27 and dismissing the dangerous Sooryavanshi. The remainder of the attack, on the other hand, simply watched the devastation.
With this win, RR have secured their first two points of the season.
Scorecard:
Chennai Super Kings: 127/10, Overs 19.4, Jamie Overton 43, Ravindra Jadeja 2/18
Rajasthan Royals: 128/2, Overs 12.1, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi 52, Anshul Kamboj 2/27
