IPL 2026 kicked off in Guwahati with a one-sided contest at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium on March 30, 2026. Rajasthan Royals hosted Chennai Super Kings in Match 3, and RR delivered a clinical performance under new captain Riyan Parag.
Chasing 128, RR cruised home by 8 wickets with 47 balls to spare. A stunning 15-ball fifty from Vaibhav Sooryavanshi powered the Royals to a dominant win in their season opener.
Scorecard Summary
| Team | Runs | Wickets | Overs | Top Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CSK | 127 | 10 | 19.4 | Jamie Overton (43) |
| RR | 128 | 2 | 12.1 | Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (52) |
Match Summary
RR won the toss and elected to field first.
CSK suffered a batting collapse and were all out for 127 in 19.4 overs. Nandre Burger and Jofra Archer destroyed the top order with two wickets each. Ravindra Jadeja marked his RR return by picking two wickets against his former team. Only Jamie Overton showed resistance with a fighting 43 off 36 balls.
RR then demolished the target with ease. 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi blasted 52 off just 17 balls, racing to a 15-ball fifty. Yashasvi Jaiswal anchored the chase with an unbeaten 38. RR reached 128/2 in 12.1 overs for a comprehensive victory.
Key Partnership: Sooryavanshi and Jaiswal put together a 75-run opening stand off just 37 balls. This explosive partnership killed the chase by the powerplay.
Top Performers
Batting
| Player | Team | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vaibhav Sooryavanshi | RR | 52 | 17 | 4 | 5 |
| Jamie Overton | CSK | 43 | 36 | 2 | 2 |
| Yashasvi Jaiswal | RR | 38* | 31 | 3 | 1 |
| Dhruv Jurel | RR | 18 | 9 | 4 | 0 |
Bowling
| Player | Team | Overs | Runs | Wickets | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ravindra Jadeja | RR | 3 | 18 | 2 | 6.00 |
| Jofra Archer | RR | 4 | 19 | 2 | 4.75 |
| Nandre Burger | RR | 4 | 26 | 2 | 6.50 |
| Anshul Kamboj | CSK | 3 | 27 | 2 | 12.46 |
| Ravi Bishnoi | RR | 3 | 16 | 1 | 5.33 |
| Sandeep Sharma | RR | 2.4 | 22 | 1 | 8.25 |
Player of the Match
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (RR) — 52 off 17 balls. The 15-year-old sensation smashed the joint fourth-fastest fifty in IPL history. His explosive knock ended the match early and set the tone for RR’s campaign.
