Last Updated on March 31, 2026 by Yash Saini
Rajasthan Royals started their IPL 2026 campaign with a simple victory against Chennai Super Kings at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati. RR captain, Riyan Parag, won the toss and elected to bowl first. CSK batters were not at their best, especially captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sanju Samson, and Shivam Dube MS Dhoni was not part of the game because of the calf injury, and CSK were all out at 127 in 19.4.
Nandre Burger took 2 crucial wickets early by conceding only 26 runs. Also, he was awarded player of the match for his disciplined spell. Jamie Overton was the top scorer for CSK by scoring 43 off 36 balls, but it was not enough to set a challenging platform.
RR Explosive chase
Rajasthan Royals openers Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Yashasvi Jaiswal gave the team an explosive start. Sooryavanshi scored an outstanding half-century with 52 runs in just 17 balls. His knock includes 5 sixes and 4 fours. On the other hand, Jaiswal remained not out and anchored the innings by scoring 38 runs off 36 balls. Captain Parag scored 14 runs in 11 balls and sealed the win with 47 balls remaining.
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Both Captain Post Match Reactions
As per live mint, RR captain Riyan Parag said, “ I got lucky with the toss, but I think the way we executed it, we had like a couple of days’ practice, I think, before CSK arrived, and it was a red-soil wicket, but then it was a lot of rain as well, so we knew the moisture was going to play a part. And yeah, I think everyone executed plans really nicely.”
Riyan Parag praised Sooryavanshi and said, “What I tell him is that you’re going to play 14 games, and regardless of what goes on in the game, it shouldn’t bother you. What goes around in the media shouldn’t bother you. You just go out there. He loves to bat. I’ve made sure I’ve told the coaches that he gets as much batting as he wants. And he goes and does some things like that.”
He added, “I think Dhruv and I, when we were sitting there till the fourth over, we were just in awe. Like, what is happening? Like, how is he doing this? But then I’m really happy to have him in my team.”
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CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad said, “I felt the conditions at the start were really tough, especially when facing Jofra and Burger. They bowled brilliant lengths, and even after that, to a medium-pacer, it was slightly tough. You could see even the spinners were getting some assistance as well. Yes, we would have been better in batting, we would have taken the game deep, showed some batsmanship, maybe taken the game till 150-160. But nowadays, you never know what’s a good score, so you just have to keep going. So I think it was just one of those days where the wicket was slightly on the tougher side. So not frustrated at all. (Do you reassess as a group?) You just put it behind you and move on. We’ve got a game in another three days. Make sure that everyone is in a good headspace.”
Former Indian Cricketer Mohammad Kaif has also tweeted on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi by saying, “Last season I thought Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was getting hyped way too early. An old-school cricketer, I believe there should be no haste in fast-tracking young players. But a year later, I think he is ready to graduate to the next level. The 15 year boy can entertain and play match-winning knocks.”
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Post Match Statement
As per Times of India, Sooryavanshi said, “I didn’t really do anything outside. There was supposed to be a cake cutting, but I went to sleep early to avoid cake smearing. The plan today was simply to execute well in the power play. Initially, the wicket felt a bit sticky, but as the ball got older, it started coming onto the bat nicely.”
He was also asked if he didn’t think about the defence? 15-year-old Sooryavanshi replied, ” I do think about defence, but today our plan was to control the game in the power play because in a small chase, the phase is crucial. If the bowling team does well there, the game can tilt their way, but our power play went really well.”
Further, he added, “The coaches didn’t specifically say that bowlers would attack me; everyone else was already saying that, but they just told me that they backed me and that I should stick to my natural game and play according to the situation (on guidance from the support staff). My opening partner (Jaiswal) keeps communicating with me after every ball, and he tells me when to take singles, keeps giving me the strike, and encourages me to keep playing my shots if the ball is coming nicely onto the bat.”
Overall, the Rajasthan Royals have got the momentum that they wanted and are now all set for the other matches.
