IPL 2026: RR beat CSK by eight wickets; Archer, Jadeja, Burger, Suryavanshi shine

GUWAHATI: Fiery bowling spells from Jofra Archer, Ravindra Jadeja and Nandre Burger and a sensational half-century from Vaibhav Suryavanshi helped Rajasthan Royals (RR) to an eight-wicket win over five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in their Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign opener at Guwahati on Monday.

RR opted to bowl first and Archer (2/19), Burger (2/26) and Jadeja (2/18) made CSK toil hard for every run as they sunk to 57/6 at one point. Knocks from Jamie Overton (43 in 36 balls, with two fours and two sixes), Kartik Sharma (18), Sarfaraz Khan (17) helped CSK reach 127 in 19.4 overs before they ran out of batters. Suryavanshi (52 in 17 balls, with four boundaries and five sixes) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (38* in 36 balls, with three fours and a six) set up a platform for an easy win with a quickfire 75-run stand.

In the run-chase of 128 runs, the pairing of Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Yashasvi Jaiswal started off by smoking Matt Henry for 18 runs in the first over, with Suryavanshi fearlessly hitting him for a couple of fours and a six. During this, he was also offered some respite by Kartik Sharma, who dropped him.

There was simply no stopping RR as Suryavanshi collected another couple of fours and a disdainful six over long-on, bringing up the team’s 50-run mark in five overs.

Smiles all around the Royals camp!

A dominant chase completed in just 12.1 overs to seal a wonderful winning start in Guwahati

Scorecard https://t.co/UzbuFk5G26#TATAIPL | #KhelBindaas | #RRvCSK | @rajasthanroyals pic.twitter.com/lQ2nnZmqp0

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) March 30, 2026

The 15-year-old Suryavanshi was looking class apart against international-level talent, smashing Afghanistan star Noor Ahmed for two bludgeoning sixes over long-on, reaching his fifty in 15 balls, with four boundaries and five sixes. This is the second-fastest fifty by an RR batter, next to Jaiswal’s 13-ball fifty against KKR in 2023. However, Jaiswal this time around enjoyed some good view of Suryavanshi’s batting from the non-strikers end.

Anshul Kamboj ended the 75-run stand, removing Suryavanshi for a 17-ball 52, with four boundaries and five sixes. RR was 75/1 in 6.2 overs.

The assault continued on CSK bowlers, as Dhruv Jurel and Jaiswal smoked Jamie Overton for three fours in the eighth over. In the next over start, Jurel continued his sublime hitting, getting two successive fours against Anshul Kamboj. But Jurel was cleaned up by Kamboj for a nine-ball 18, with four boundaries. RR was 99/2 in 8.3 overs.

RR brought up the 100-run mark in 8.4 overs. At the end of 10 overs, RR were 106/2, with skipper Riyan Parag (6*) and Jaiswal (25*) unbeaten. Jaiswal (38* in 36 balls, with three fours and a six) and Parag (14*) guided RR to a comprehensive in 12.1 overs.

Earlier, Rajasthan Royals’ (RR) bowling unit, led by Nandre Burger and Jofra Archer, along with Ravindra Jadeja, left Chennai Super Kings (CSK) with no answers in the first innings of their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season opener.

Burger (2/26), Archer (2/19), along with Ravindra Jadeja (2/18), got six wickets in total as RR bowled CSK out for just 127 runs in 19.4 overs.

After RR skipper Riyan Parag won the toss and elected to field on his home ground, his bowlers justified the decision immediately, dismantling the CSK top order in a ruthless display of seam bowling.

Chennai’s innings got off to a disastrous start as they lost their big guns within the first few overs. Sanju Samson (6 runs), making his debut in the yellow jersey against his former side, was the first to fall. Nandre Burger produced a peach of a delivery–a good-length ball that nipped away to uproot Samson’s off-stump. CSK was 14/1 in two overs.

The shock continued when captain Ruturaj Gaikwad was cleaned up by Jofra Archer, also for just six runs, reducing CSK to 19/2 in three overs. However, the situation worsened even further for CSK when youngster Ayush Mhatre fell for a golden duck, caught behind off a bouncer from Burger following a successful RR review, reducing CSK to 19/3 in 3.1 overs.

Matthew Short’s (2) stay also did not last very long either as Sandeep Sharma claimed his first wicket of the night, reducing CSK to 38/4 in 5.3 overs. By the end of the Powerplay, CSK were gasping at 41/4.

The middle overs offered no respite for Chennai. Ravindra Jadeja, playing against his long-time former franchise, made an immediate impact with the ball. In his very first over, Jadeja struck twice to remove the dangerous Sarfaraz Khan (17 in 12 balls, with two fours and a six) and the big-hitting Shivam Dube (6).

Sarfaraz, who had looked like the only batter capable of rebuilding the innings, was trapped LBW, while Dube’s struggle ended shortly after, leaving Chennai reeling at 57/6 after 8 overs.

CSK’s Rs 14.20 crore recruit Kartik Sharma also tried rebuilding CSK’s innings but lost his wicket to RR’s Brijesh Sharma. Kartik scored 18 runs off 15 balls. CSK’s eighth wicket fell in the form of Noor Ahmad, as Jofra Archer claimed his second wicket of the match, reducing CSK to 82/8 in 13 overs.

RR’s Ravi Bishnoi joined the party as he claimed his first wicket, sending Matt Henry back to the pavilion, with CSK reeling at 94/9 in 16 overs.

Jamie Overton provided some resistance for the five-time champions CSK as he scored 43 off 36 balls (with two fours and two sixes), helping CSK cross the 100-run mark in 17.1 overs, but was run out as CSK were bundled out for 127 in 19.4 overs.

Brief Scores: CSK: 127 in 19.4 overs (Jamie Overton 43, Kartik Sharma 18, Jofra Archer 2/19) lost to RR: 128/2 in 12.1 overs (Vaibhav Suryavanshi 52, Yashasvi Jaiswal 38*, Anshul Kamboj 2/27). (ANI)