A new season, fresh combinations, and yet a familiar script unfolded for Chennai Super Kings. After Rajasthan Royals’ bowlers made full use of the overhead conditions, it was Vaibhav Sooryavanshi who turned the evening into a spectacle, his fearless hitting powering RR to an eight-wicket win in their IPL 2026 opener at Guwahati’s Barsapara Cricket Stadium on Monday.
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Riyan Parag got the call right at the toss in his first game as full-time captain, and his bowlers followed it up with a collective effort, each picking up a wicket as CSK were restricted to 127. There was enough assistance on offer, and Rajasthan kept things tight to ensure Chennai never found momentum.
Chasing 128, RR did not take long to take control. Yashasvi Jaiswal had a watchful start, but Sooryavanshi took the attack head-on. His 15-ball fifty came at a pace CSK could not match, and by the end of the Powerplay, the contest had already tilted heavily in Rajasthan’s favour. More than half the runs were knocked off with all ten wickets intact.
There was an early let-off as well. Matt Henry induced a chance with his first ball, only for a misjudged effort at midwicket to run away to the boundary. The next delivery disappeared for six, setting the tone. Jaiswal finished the opening over with a boundary as 18 runs came off it.
Sooryavanshi raced to 38 off 13 balls, striking boundaries at will. One of the standout shots came when he picked a well-disguised slower ball from Henry and carved it over deep point. He then took on Noor Ahmad, hitting him for two sixes to bring up a rapid half-century that all but sealed the chase.
CSK managed a breakthrough when Sarfaraz Khan sprinted in from deep cover to complete a low catch, ending Sooryavanshi’s 52 off 17 balls. Anshul Kamboj accounted for both wickets to fall, but by then the target had been reduced to a formality. Jaiswal and Parag finished the job with ease, wrapping up the chase with nearly eight overs to spare.
Both Chennai Super Kings and the Royals, last season’s bottom-placed sides, reshaped their squads by swapping star players Ravindra Jadeja and Sanju Samson ahead of the season. It proved a fruitful return for Jadeja, who struck twice in his opening over and set the tone early. Samson, the star of India’s T20 World Cup triumph, endured a quiet start, failing to make an impact on his CSK debut.
For Rajasthan, it was as commanding a start as they could have asked for, and it continued their strong record against Chennai, now nine wins in the last 11 meetings. For CSK, there is work to do. Henry was expensive, conceding 40 in three overs, while Noor was also taken apart. Kamboj’s two wickets and a tidy spell from Khaleel Ahmed were the few positives on a difficult evening.
Defending a low total was always going to be a challenge, but missed chances in the field and ineffective plans with the ball made it tougher. It is a young side in transition, and while the margin of defeat will hurt, the season is only just beginning.
Earlier, the Guwahati pitch had offered far more resistance. Having spent considerable time under covers across match eve and match day, it aided seamers early, and RR made full use of it after opting to bowl.
Jofra Archer and Nandre Burger bowled probing, Test-match lengths to dismantle CSK’s top order. Burger struck early to remove Sanju Samson for 6, the right-hander undone by one that straightened just enough to clip off stump against his former side. Archer ensured there was no escape, as Ruturaj Gaikwad exposed his stumps in a bid to break free.
Burger continued to press, unsettling Ayush Mhatre with a sharp bouncer that forced a glove through to the keeper. CSK’s top order was not rebuilt, it was dismantled.
Then came a decisive blow from Ravindra Jadeja, back in Rajasthan colours after 17 years. In his first over, he removed Sarfaraz and Shivam Dube in quick succession, reducing CSK to 57 for 6 inside eight overs.
From there, the innings drifted. Jamie Overton’s 43 off 36 balls, along with a late 33-run stand with Anshul Kamboj, pushed CSK past 120, but the recovery was only cosmetic.
Rajasthan’s bowlers remained disciplined throughout. Archer, Burger and Jadeja picked up two wickets each, while Brijesh Sharma chipped in on debut. It was a performance built on clarity and execution, perfectly aligned with the conditions.
MS Dhoni and Brevis’ absence on Monday further exposed the void in the CSK squad, leaving them overly reliant on a handful of players to carry the innings. While the home team ticked most boxes, CSK looked out of sync in their opener and will need a swift reset.
The concerns have surfaced early again. Despite new personnel and a fresh season, the top order’s fragility remains evident. One match does not define a campaign, but this was hardly the kind of start to suggest those issues have been addressed.
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