Guwahati, April 11 (IANS) An opening blitz of 78 off 26 balls by batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and a steady knock of 81 off 43 deliveries by wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel helped Rajasthan Royals beat Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) by six wickets in Match 16 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, at the Baraspara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on Friday.

Sooryavanshi led a powerful assault on the bowling to kick off Rajasthan Royals’ chase, easily dismantling RCB’s bowling with bold shots. He started strongly against Bhuvneshwar Kumar, driving a near yorker for four and ending the over with a high shot over cover-point. There was no slowing down as he attacked Hazlewood, hitting a series of boundaries that showed his goal to target anything in his range. Even when RCB changed their lengths, Sooryavanshi continued to find ways to score, hitting with impressive skill.

At the other end of the wicket, Yashasvi Jaiswal (13) offered some support before edging a cross-seam delivery, but it hardly affected RR’s momentum. Sooryavanshi quickly reached a remarkable 15-ball half-century, matching his previous record. He got there with back-to-back sixes—one a powerful hit over long-on and the other a top-edge pull that went over the boundary. His ability to dominate both fast and bouncing deliveries left RCB searching for answers.

The onslaught continued as Dhruv Jurel joined in, hitting boundaries with ease and keeping up the pressure. RR raced to a record 97/1 in the Power-play, their best in IPL history, with Abhinandan Singh’s overs turning out to be particularly costly. They maintained this momentum into the middle overs, crossing 100 in just 6.2 overs, the fastest in their IPL history.

Krunl Pandya ended Sooryavanshi’s stay with a pace-up delivery as the young left-handed batter handed it straight to Virat Kohli in deep mid-wicket after playing a handy knock of 78 off 26 deliveries. Shimron Hetmyer followed Sooryavanshi on the very next delivery, handing an easy catch to Hazlewood at short third man.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) had a dramatic start as Jofra Archer dismissed Phil Salt with a sharp bouncer on the very first ball. Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal countered well, putting together a quick 45-run partnership in just 17 balls, but Rajasthan responded strongly. Archer removed Padikkal, while Ravi Bishnoi changed the game with two quick wickets, bowling Kohli and getting Krunal Pandya out. Sharp fielding from Shimron Hetmyer made things worse for RCB. Jitesh Sharma also got out shortly after, leaving RCB struggling at 76/5 in 8.4 overs.

Romario Shepherd offered a brief counterattack, scoring a rapid 22 before being dismissed by Ravindra Jadeja. Debutant Venkatesh Iyer then partnered with Rajat Patidar, shifting the momentum. Patidar went from a cautious start to a fast half-century, marked by several sixes. However, he ultimately fell to Sandeep Sharma. A late effort from Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Iyer (29 off 15) helped RCB reach a good total of 201/8 in their 20-over quota.

RCB made a short comeback in the middle overs. They strung together a series of tight deliveries that included wickets and dot balls, which slowed down the Rajasthan Royals’ momentum and built pressure. Krunal Pandya led the effort well by preventing boundaries and reducing the asking rate to about seven runs per over. He even ended a 24-ball boundary drought before Ravindra Jadeja broke the spell with a lucky inside edge to fine leg.

However, Dhruv Jurel stayed calm during the slowdown. He anchored the chase with a well-timed knock and reached his half-century in 25 balls. With wickets in hand and Jurel doing well, RR remained on track despite RCB’s determined fightback.

Jurel finished unbeaten on a superb 81 off 43 balls – his highest score in T20s — as Rajasthan Royals chased down 202 with two overs to spare. Despite a brief wobble in the middle overs, Jurel and Ravindra Jadeja steadied the innings with a composed 68-run stand off 50 balls, ensuring there were no late alarms as RR sealed a comfortable win.

Brief scores:

Royal Challengers Bengaluru 201/8 in 20 overs (Rajat Patidar 63, Virat Kohli 32; Ravi Bishnoi 2-32, Jofra Archer 2-33) lost to Rajasthan Royals 202/4 in 18 overs (Dhruv Jurel 81, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi 78; Krunal Pandya 2-40, Josh Hazlewood 2-44) by six wickets

–IANS

hs/bsk/