It was a bittersweet return for Sanju Samson to the Barsapara Stadium, Guwahati in Chennai Super Kings colours as the 5-time champions were thrashed by Samson's former Indian Premier League franchise Rajasthan Royals.
While it wasn't a fond return for Sanju, all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who was traded by CSK for the Kerala wicket-keeper, marked his return to the Royals with a sensational 8-wicket victory.
After being put in to bat, Chennai struggled against the high-octane pace of Jofra Archer and Nandre Burger. The duo dismantled the top order early, leaving CSK reeling at 41/4 by the end of the powerplay.
Ravindra Jadeja, returning to RR after 17 seasons, added to his former team's misery by picking up two wickets in a single over.
Only Jamie Overton offered significant resistance, top-scoring with a gritty 43 off 36 balls to guide CSK to a total of 127.
The chase was a mere formality thanks to 15-year-old prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
The youngster rewrote the record books by smashing the joint 3rd fastest fifty in IPL history. He reached the milestone in just 15 deliveries.
Sooryavanshi's explosive 52 off 17 balls (featuring 5 sixes and 4 fours) effectively ended the contest within the powerplay.
Yashasvi Jaiswal then anchored the remainder of the innings with an unbeaten 38, while skipper Riyan Parag struck the winning runs to seal a statement victory.
Nandre Burger Adjudged Man Of The Match
Nandre Burger was named Player of the Match for his outstanding opening spell that set up Rajasthan's dominant win over CSK.
Extracting fierce pace and bounce from the Guwahati surface, the South African speedster dismantled Chennai's top order.
Burger consistently clocked high speeds and bowled with relentless accuracy, finishing with stellar figures of 2/26 in his quota of 4 overs.
What was the result of the RR vs CSK, IPL 2026 match?
Rajasthan Royals defeated Chennai Super Kings by 8 wickets. CSK scored 127, which RR chased down in 12.1 overs.
Who won the Player of the Match award in RR vs CSK, IPL 2026?
The Player of the Match (POTM) award went to Nandre Burger, who delivered a crucial spell of 2/26 in four overs.
Who will feature in IPL 2026 match number 4?
The Gujarat Titans will take on the Punjab Kings in match number 4 of the Indian Premier League 2026 season.
