The Rajasthan Royals (RR) have made it four in four, and this one never really felt in doubt once their openers got going. Chasing 202 in Guwahati, RR got there with six wickets in hand and two overs to spare, riding on a brutal powerplay assault from Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and a superb finish from Dhruv Jurel.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) had their moments and perhaps did really well from the position they were in. They crossed 200, had early breakthroughs, and even found a window in the middle overs. But they were chasing the game the moment RR walked off at 97/1 after six overs, RR’s highest powerplay score ever. That basically blew RCB away despite Josh Hazlewood making his comeback.
Sooryavanshi blows the game open; Jurel shuts it down
There’s aggressive batting, and then there’s what Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is doing continuously. Once again, the 15-year-old sensation hammered 15-ball fifty. Seven sixes. A strike rate touching 300. And more importantly, a complete kill of the chase before RCB could settle. He didn’t target one bowler, he took apart everyone. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood – it didn’t matter.
What stood out was the range. Pulls, lofted drives, swats over mid-on. It wasn’t slogging. It was hitting at ridiculous tempo without losing his shape. At the other end, Jurel played a different game. While Sooryavanshi dominated, Jurel stayed in sync without forcing it. By the end of the powerplay, RR had 97 on the board, the highest of the season, and the equation was already under control.
Even when Krunal Pandya briefly pulled things back with two wickets in an over, removing Sooryavanshi and Hetmyer, RR never lost their grip. Jurel shifted gears smartly, tightened his approach, and then accelerated again when needed. His unbeaten 81 ensured there were no late stutters. A 68-run stand with Ravindra Jadeja quietly took the game away depiste Jadeja not batting in control. He could’ve been out a couple of times but Jurel literally sealed the game for RR.
The race for the Orange cap has seriously become pink as RR’s top three of Suryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Jurel are leading the top three spots.
Rajat Patidar shines but RCB suffers
After the match was delayed by 75 minutes, RCB were put to bat first. They had a collapse, losing wickets regularly. Jofra Archer’s opening over, which included the wicket of Phil Salt, gave RR early momentum. However, Virat Kohli responded with intent, counter-attacking through the power play and ensuring RCB remain ahead in the game. His 32 off 16 set the tone for what looked like a strong platform.
The turning point came soon after. From a stable position at 61/3, RCB lost their way through the middle overs as Ravi Bishnoi struck twice and the scoring rate dipped. The innings required consolidation, and Rajat Patidar provided exactly that.
Patidar’s 63 off 40 was an innings that was the reason why RCB went above 200. He took his time initially, particularly against spin, before opening up in the latter half. His clean hitting against Nandre Burger in the 15th over helped RCB regain some momentum, and a late cameo from Venkatesh Iyer (29*) pushed the total past 200.
Even so, the sense at the innings break was that RCB were slightly under par. On a surface offering consistent bounce and value for shots, the slowdown in the middle overs cost them the cushion they needed, especially against a batting unit as aggressive as Rajasthan’s.
IPL 2026 points table after RR vs RCB match
| Rank | Team | P | W | L | Pts | NRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | RR | 4 | 4 | 0 | 8 | +2.055 |
| 2 | PBKS | 3 | 2 | 0 | 5 | +0.637 |
| 3 | RCB | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 | +1.231 |
| 4 | DC | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 | +0.811 |
| 5 | LSG | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 | -0.359 |
| 6 | SRH | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | +0.275 |
| 7 | GT | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | -0.270 |
| 8 | MI | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | -0.715 |
| 9 | KKR | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | -1.315 |
| 10 | CSK | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | -2.517 |
Next IPL 2026 matches
| Date | Match | Venue | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 11 | PBKS vs SRH | Mullanpur | 3:30 PM |
| Apr 11 | CSK vs DC | Chennai | 7:30 PM |
