A strong beginning for Rajasthan Royals turned sour as they collapsed to 155/9 against Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL 2026 match. The opening duo of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi set the stage with an explosive 81-run partnership, but the momentum shifted once spin bowlers came into play. Varun Chakaravarthy and Sunil Narine’s spin choked Rajasthan’s scoring rate, leading to a dramatic slowdown.
The middle overs saw Rajasthan losing key wickets, with Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel falling prey to the spin duo. Despite efforts to rebuild the innings by Shimron Hetmyer and Ravindra Jadeja, Rajasthan struggled to regain control. Kartik Tyagi’s three-wicket over in the final stages sealed Rajasthan’s fate, as they collapsed from a promising 139/4 to a disappointing 155/9 total.
Kolkata Knight Riders’ bowlers, especially Chakaravarthy and Tyagi, capitalized on the conditions, restricting Rajasthan to a below-par total on a good batting pitch.
