The 3rd match of the Indian Premier League 2026 saw Sheer domination by Rajasthan Royals, which won over Chennai Super Kings with a comfortable margin of 8 wickets at Barsapara Cricket stadium on March 30. Having won the toss, Rajasthan Royals skipper Riyan Parag opted to bowl first and it came off strongly when his bowlers held Chennai Super Kings to a menial total which was chased comfortably by the batting line-up.
Chennai Super Kings Struggle with the Bat
After losing the toss and being put into bat, Chennai Super Kings had a tough start as the Rajasthan pace attack made them toil early on. Wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson opened the innings but could only score 6 runs off 7 before falling to Nandre Burger. Captain Ruturaj Gaikwad was the next to go soon after for 6 runs, bowled by Jofra Archer as CSK found themselves in early trouble.
Ayush Mhatre was out for a duck in the next over and Matthew Short could add only 2 runs before Sandeep Sharma sent him back. Chennai had already lost a few wickets and none of them were able to get going in the powerplay.
Middle-order batter Sarfaraz Khan, who scored 17 runs off 12 balls with two boundaries and a six tried showing some positive intent. But he was trapped lbw to Ravindra Jadeja, ending any hope of a recovery and closing the innings. Kartik Sharma tried to hold the innings together with 18 from 15 balls before he too fell after getting a start.
All-rounder Shivam Dube hit a rapid six but managed only four balls before Jadeja got his second wicket. This was at a stage where half the Chennai side were back in the pavilion.
The sole significant contribution was from England all-rounder Jamie Overton, who scored a valiant 43 off 36 balls with two fours and as many sixes. His innings allowed CSK to get their score beyond the deficit of 120 runs and regular wickets at the other hand held up the team from putting an appropriate target on board.
Chennai Super Kings inningsHere a list of batsmen down the order Noor Ahmad, Matt Henry and Anshul Kamboj failed to provide any meaningful support as Chennai Super Kings were eventually bowled out for 127 runs in 19.4 overs at run rate 6.46
Rajasthan Royals Bowling Performance
The bowling unit of Rajasthan Royals put in a disciplined performance throughout the innings. The attack was spearheaded to great effect by Jofra Archer, whose 2 for 19 in 4 overs spoke of tight control and an economy rate under five.
Left arm pacer Nandre Burger also put up a fighting performance as he took 2 for 26 in his spell but Ravindra Jadeja also left an impact with the ball as well and getting to 2 wickets for just 18 runs in the three overs. Leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi took 1 for 16 while Brijesh Sharma and Sandeep Sharma also picked up a wicket each.
In all, Rajasthan maintained pressure with the ball throughout and never allowed any Chennai batter to get away.
Rajasthan Royals Easy Run Chase
Batting first, up-and-coming star Wasseem junior anchored the innings for Rajasthan until a build-up of wickets in the middle order caused a slowdown. Opening batter Yashasvi Jaiswal consolidated from the top with 38 runs off 36 balls.
But it was young talent Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s explosive batting, scoring 52 runs off just 17 balls that stole the show during the chase. He played 5 sixes and 4 fours in his innings where he scored at the rate of more than 300. This aggressive strategy set up Rajasthan’s powerplay domination and momentum in the chase.
The partnership of 75 between Jaiswal and Sooryavanshi in the opening was enough to put the game well out of Chennai’s reach after six overs. Replacing Sooryavanshi, Anshul Kamboj was a few runs away from getting to double figures before being dismissed and induced wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel with the bat, smashing 18 off just nine deliveries by striking four boundaries.
Jaiswal remained calm alongside his captain Riyan Parag, who finished unbeaten on 14 runs from 11 balls as they chased down the target with ease. Rajasthan Royals achieved the target in only 12.1 overs, reaching the mark comfortably at a run rate of 10.52 scoring 128 runs for loss of 2 wickets.
Chennai Super Kings Bowling
Only Anshul Kamboj could make any significant impact with the ball from Chennai, returning figures of 2 for 27 in his 3-over spell. The rest of the bowling unit had a hard time controlling the Rajasthan batters.
Matt Henry went for 40 in his 3, and Noor Ahmad, Jamie Overton and Matthew Short could not deliver telling breakthroughs.
Key Match Stats
- Result: Rajasthan Royals won by 8 wickets
- Venue: Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati
- CSK Total: 127 all out (19.4 overs)
- RR Total: 128/2 (12.1 overs)
- Top Scorer (CSK): Jamie Overton – 43 (36)
- Top Scorer (RR): Vaibhav Sooryavanshi – 52 (17)
- Best Bowler (RR): Jofra Archer – 2/19
- Best Bowler (CSK): Anshul Kamboj – 2/27
