Built on incisive new-ball spells from Jofra Archer and Nandre Burger, a double-strike from Ravindra Jadeja, and a blistering 52 from teenage opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Rajasthan Royals launched their IPL 2026 campaign with a commanding eight-wicket victory over Chennai Super Kings at the ACA Stadium on Monday. Sooryavanshi slammed his half-century in just 15 balls, going past the fastest fifties of IPL stalwarts like Suresh Raina, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan and Travis Head, whose best is off 16 deliveries. His knock ensured RR chased down the target of 128 in just 12.1 overs.
CSK, missing MS Dhoni and Dewald Brevis, were bundled out for just 127 after being rocked early on a red-soil pitch offering swing and seam to Archer and Burger. Jadeja struck twice in his first over and marked a successful return to RR after 17 years, while debutant Brijesh Sharma chipped in with a breakthrough.
Only Jamie Overton showed resistance, counterattacking at number eight to hit 43 off 36 balls to drag CSK past 120 from 84/8 and save them from the ignominy of being bowled out for below 100, though the end total was still below-par. In reply, Sooryavanshi turned the chase into a one-man exhibition.
Dropped for nought, he raced to a 15-ball fifty - the third fastest in IPL history - with four fours and five sixes, powering RR to 74 without loss in the Powerplay. Though he fell soon after for 52, the damage was done. Yashasvi Jaiswal (38 not out) and skipper Riyan Parag (14 not out) calmly finished the chase with 47 balls to spare.
Archer began by swinging the ball both ways to trouble Sanju Samson and Ruturaj Gaikwad in the opening over. Nandre Burger then made the first breakthrough by knocking over Samson for 6 with a delivery that shaped away and crashed into the off-stump.
Archer returned to remove Gaikwad in his second over - the CSK skipper backed away to access the off-side but missed a straight ball and was bowled for six. Burger intensified the collapse in the third over as Ayush Mhatre fell for a golden duck - gloving a bouncer to keeper Dhruv Jurel, as RR got the decision in their favour on review.
Sarfaraz Khan came in as the impact substitute and began his resistance by pulling Burger for four and six in successive balls. After debutant Brijesh Sharma impressed by conceding only six runs in the fourth over, Sarfaraz kept counterattacking to keep the scoreboard ticking.
Sandeep Sharma struck immediately in the final over of power-play as Matthew Short, who struggled to get going, chipped a slower ball straight to mid-wicket for two, as CSK closed the power-play at 41/4. Post that, CSK suffered two major blows - Sarfaraz attempted a sweep off ex-CSK stalwart Ravindra Jadeja, but missed it and was trapped lbw for 17, while Shivam Dube holed out to long-off.
CSK's slide continued as Brijesh Sharma beat Kartik's inside edge, and trapped him plumb lbw for 18, while Noor Ahmed edged behind to Jurel off Archer and Ravi Bishnoi took a sharp caught and bowled chance after foxing Matt Henry with a googly. But thanks to Jamie Overton nailing boundaries alongside Anshul Kamboj, CSK were able to cross the 120-mark, before a complete confusion resulted in the former being run-out.
RR had a flying start as Matt Henry's opening over went for 18 runs, with Sooryavanshi pulling and driving for boundaries (including Kartik Sharma dropping him for zero) while Jaiswal glanced him fine for four.
Khaleel Ahmed thought he had Sooryavanshi lbw on the first ball of his spell, but review showed the ball going over leg stump. Jaiswal played watchfully even as Sooryavanshi continued to attack to keep the runs flowing.
Henry's second over was taken apart by Sooryavanshi - slashing a slower ball over backward point for six, while Jaiswal muscled Khaleel straight over mid-off for four. Anshul Kamboj was greeted with three boundaries as Sooryavanshi ramped and tickled him over third man and fine leg before smashing a six over long-on, as RR crossed the fifty-run mark.
Noor Ahmad's introduction did little to stem the flow as Sooryavanshi launched consecutive sixes over long-on to bring up a blistering fifty off just 15 balls, as 19 runs came off the sixth over to take RR to 74/0 at the end of the power-play.
But just after that, Sooryavanshi attempted to flay a length ball over cover but Sarfaraz Khan ran in from the deep and completed a diving catch at deep extra cover to dismiss him for 52.
Dhruv Jurel kept the tempo going with four quick boundaries, before dragging one back onto his stumps off Anshul Kamboj while trying to scoop him off. Parag lofted and reverse-swept to get his four and six, while Jaiswal thumped one over long-off for six before getting the winning single to launch RR's campaign with a thumping win.
Brief Scores: Chennai Super Kings 127 in 19.4 overs (Jamie Overton 43, Kartik Sharma 18; Ravindra Jadeja 2-18, Jofra Archer 2-19) lost to Rajasthan Royals 128/2 in 12.1 overs (Vaibhav Sooryavanshi 52, Yashasvi Jaiswal 38 not out; Anshul Kamboj 2-27) by eight wickets
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