Rajasthan Royals announced their arrival in IPL 2026 with a resounding eight-wicket win over Chennai Super Kings, fueled by an impressive innings from teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. The Royals bowlers set the tone from the start, restricting CSK to a modest 127 on a pitch that had seen limited play due to rain.
CSK’s batting struggled from the start and the home team failed to generate any momentum. Royals captain Riyan Parag’s bowlers exploited the conditions to perfection, picking wickets at regular intervals to keep CSK under pressure. Ravindra Jadeja, returning to the Royals, struck twice in his opening, indicating a successful comeback.
Sooryavanshi, 15, showed his rare talent in full flight, racing to a 15-ball fifty, including a spectacular six over point from New Zealand pacer Matt Henry and a pair of towering sixes from spinner Noor Ahmad. Taken down by Kartik Sharma in a penalty, he made CSK pay immediately, turning the contest decisively in Rajasthan’s favour. His innings helped the Royals reach 74 on the power play, effectively sealing the game.
Opening partner Yashasvi Jaiswal (38* off 36) played a measured role, letting Sooryavanshi dominate, while Parag (14* off 11) joined in later to finish the chase in 12.1 overs with ease.
CSK’s top players struggled. Sanju Samson, fresh from India’s T20 World Cup triumph, was trapped by Nandre Burger trying to go over mid-wicket, while captain Ruturaj Gaikwad fell while attempting a lofted shot against Jofra Archer. Jamie Overton offered some resistance with 43 off 36 but could not stop the collapse.
The Royals’ pace attack, led by Nandre Burger and Archer, perfectly complemented Jadeja’s turn. Brijesh Sharma claimed the wicket of debutant Kartik Sharma, while Archer, Burger and Jadeja finished with two wickets each.
Both teams, who had swapped stars Jadeja and Samson before the season, began their campaigns in contrasting fashion: Royals with a spectacular win, CSK with a lot to rethink after a rocky start.