The Rajasthan Royals (RR) kicked off their IPL 2026 campaign in emphatic fashion, dismantling the Chennai Super Kings with ease in a comfortable 8-wicket win at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati on Monday.
At the heart of it all was 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, whose breathtaking 15-ball half-century turned a modest chase into a one-sided spectacle.
CSK Collapse Sets the Tone
Put into bat by RR skipper Riyan Parag under overcast conditions, CSK never found their footing.
The top order crumbled early as Jofra Archer and Nandre Burger extracted movement and bounce, reducing the five-time champions to 41/4 inside the powerplay.
Sanju Samson’s debut for CSK ended in disappointment, while skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad and others followed suit in quick
succession. Ravindra Jadeja, facing his former franchise, added to the misery with two quick strikes, leaving CSK reeling at 57/6.
Overton’s Lone Stand
Amid the wreckage, Jamie Overton produced a spirited resistance. Walking in with the innings in tatters, the English all-rounder struck a composed 43 off 36 balls.
His knock was not just as vital as it was historic — as Overton now holds the record for the highest score by a CSK batter at No. 8 or below in IPL history, surpassing MS Dhoni’s 37* against Delhi Capitals in 2024.
He also stitched a crucial 33-run stand for the 10th wicket with Anshul Kamboj, helping CSK limp to 127.
Sooryavanshi Takes Over
Enter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
After being handed an early reprieve due to a dropped catch from Kartik Sharma, the teenage sensation made CSK pay brutally.
Sooryavanshi tore into the CSK bowling attack, racing to a 15-ball fifty — now the second-fastest in RR history and the third-fastest in IPL history.
His fearless strokeplay powered RR to 74/0 in just six overs, effectively ending the contest before it began.
Sooryavanshi was eventually dismissed by Kamboj, who struck again in his following over to remove Dhruv Jurel for 18 runs, as CSK pushed RR to 99/2 in 8.3 overs.
But, predictably, the damage was already done.
Riyan Parag and Yashasvi Jaiswal wrapped up the chase comfortably with 8 wickets and almost 8 overs to spare, while CSK were left with plenty to ponder.
