IPL 2026, RR vs CSK 3rd Match Match Report, March 30, 2026

Rajasthan Royals 128 for 2 (Sooryavanshi 52, Jaiswal 38*, Kamboj 2-27) beat Chennai Super Kings 127 (Overton 43, Jadeja 2-18, Archer 2-19, Burger 2-26) by eight wickets

On Monday, their powerplay score of 41 for 4 against Rajasthan Royals (RR) was straight out of 2025, when they had finished rock bottom in the league, before they were eventually bowled out for 127. That total then looked next to nothing when 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who is four years younger than the IPL itself, clattered a 15-ball half-century. RR razed the target down with eight wickets and almost as many overs to spare.

The Guwahati pitch was tricker to bat on in the early exchanges – it had spent considerable time under covers both on match day and match eve – and RR made excellent use of the dampness after winning a crucial toss and opting to bowl. Both Jofra Archer and Nandre Burger bowled Test-match lengths to wreck CSK’s top order. Ravindra Jadeja then marked his return to RR after 17 years with a double-wicket first over. Sooryavanshi then ripped up CSK’s attack, and the IPL record books.

Archer, Burger tear through top order

It was Burger who made the opening breakthrough when he knocked Sanju Samson over in the second over. Burger bowled a perfectly pitched delivery – neither full or short – on a good length, and got it to seam away from over the wicket. Samson, who was shaping up for an inswinger, was made to look silly by the left-arm quick.

Ruturaj Gaikwad then exposed all his stumps, only to be bowled by a 143.3kph delivery from Archer. Both the CSK openers fell for 6 each, and the revamped middle order could not stop the rot.

CSK’s title-winning sides of old used to navigate such Test-match style passages of play with their all-format experience. But the team management has now pivoted to youth who tried to hit their way out of trouble, and wound up collapsing spectacularly.

Ayush Mhatre dared to hook a head-high bouncer, and was caught behind for a golden duck. Matthew Short, who got an opportunity in place of the injured Dewald Brevis, chipped a slower ball from Sandeep Sharma to midwicket to leave CSK at 38 for 4 in the sixth over.

Jadeja vs CSK

That soon became 57 for 6 after Jadeja’s double-strike in his first over. The first wicket of Sarfaraz Khan had Jadeja written all over it. He speared in a fast, flat dart that thudded into Sarfaraz’s pads, and trapped him lbw for 17 off 12 balls. Sarfaraz had come in as CSK’s Impact Sub in their bat-first XI that had Noor Ahmad slotted in at No. 8. Had CSK fared better with the bat, they may have had the option of strengthening their bowling with the potential inclusion of Gurjapneet Singh or allrounder Ramakrishna Ghosh.

Shivam Dube came out attacking as well, launching his first ball for six over wide long-on. But Jadeja quickly shifted his lines wide of off and had Dube slicing a catch to wide long-off. Jadeja bared his emotions and gave his former team-mate a send-off. He finished with 2 for 18 in his three overs and later said “pink looks good on me” with a big smile on his face during the innings break.

At one point, CSK were in danger of being bowled out for a sub-100 total, but Jamie Overton’s 43 off 36 balls – he was the only CSK batter to pass 20 on the day – dragged them to 127. Overton added 33 with Anshul Kamboj, the highest ever for the last wicket for CSK.

Sooryavanshi sizzles

CSK could’ve dismissed Sooryavanshi for a golden duck had debutant Kartik Sharma not dropped him in the first over of the chase. Matt Henry drew a mis-hit over midwicket with a hard-length delivery, but Kartik, who usually keeps wicket for Rajasthan, misjudged the catch and parried it away to the boundary. What happened next ball? Sooryavanshi swatted it over wide long-on for the first of his five sixes.

The pick of Sooryavanshi’s sixes was a scythed hit off a slower ball from Henry in the third over. Henry took pace off and bowled a slower cutter wide of off, but Sooryavanshi powered it over deep point, one of the two fielders in the outfield, with his incredible bat speed and bat swing. He pressed on to bring up his fifty off 15 balls. Only four other players – his opening partner Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Pat Cummins and Romario Shepherd – have hit quicker fifties in the IPL.

CSK cut Sooryavanshi’s innings short on 52 off 17 balls when Sarfaraz pulled off a superb diving catch at sweeper cover off Kamboj in the seventh over. Kamboj struck again in his next over to remove Dhruv Jurel, but Jaiswal (38*) and captain Riyan Parag (14*) completed RR’s demolition of CSK.

Deivarayan Muthu is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo

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