Rajasthan Royals secured a dominant eight-wicket victory over Chennai Super Kings in the IPL 2026 opener at the ACA Stadium. Jofra Archer and Nandre Burger’s strong bowling performances, along with Ravindra Jadeja’s double-strike and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s quick 52 runs, set the stage for Rajasthan’s win.
Chennai Super Kings, missing key players MS Dhoni and Dewald Brevis, struggled as they were bowled out for just 127 runs. Despite a brief resistance from Jamie Overton, CSK’s total fell short. In response, Sooryavanshi’s explosive 52 off 15 balls, including four fours and five sixes, propelled Rajasthan to a commanding position.
Archer and Burger’s early wickets rattled CSK, with Jadeja making a successful return to Rajasthan Royals after 17 years. The collapse continued as CSK lost wickets quickly, but some late hitting from Overton helped them cross the 120-run mark. However, Rajasthan’s strong start and composed finish led them to a comfortable victory.
