On a night when it looked like Punjab Kings were on course to stretch their unbeaten run, Rajasthan Royals flipped the script inside the first six overs. Chasing 223 runs, RR taught the best chasing team in IPL 2026 a lesson that they could also get past a massive target with ease. After the power play, RR were 84/1, shifting the tide away from PBKS.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, this season’s marquee player, took on veteran pacer Arshdeep Singh from the get-go, tearing him apart with a six and two fours in the first over. The approach saw Yashasvi Jaiswal don his usual role of anchoring the innings in a calm, composed manner.
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Yashasvi Jaiswal lets Vaibhav Sooryavanshi do what he does best
The approach saw RR take advantage of PBKS bowlers’ poor form in the power play. RR’s opening pair turned the six overs into the decisive phase. Instead of negotiating the new ball, Sooryavanshi took on the bowlers, and after his wicket, Jaiswal did the same. The template made sure that PBKS were pushed onto the back foot before their middle overs.
Jaiswal ensured continuity, rotating strike, and letting Sooryavanshi do what he does best. It improved RR balance and reduced the risk of collapse. The powerplay saw that RR were always near or ahead of the powerplay, and never in a situation where it looked like the match was getting out of their grasp.
In the fourth delivery of the first over, Arshdeep sent a half-volley, angling into Sooryavanshi on middle and leg. The teenager slammed it with ease over a deep backward square-leg boundary for a six. Then ended the over with back-to-back fours. In the second, Sooryavanshi treated Lockie Ferguson, another veteran pacer, with similar disdain. In the fourth ball, he top-edged the Kiwi cricketer for a four and then ended the over with back-to-back sixes, sailing over deep mid-wicket ropes and then straight down the ground.
The first two overs allowed Jaiswal to take his time as Sooryavanshi entertained fans with his stunning shots. Then, in the first delivery of the third over, Jaiswal cut Marco Jansen for a four, showing that he could hit a boundary too, followed by a single. In the fourth delivery, Sooryavanshi launched Jansen over deep mid-wicket for a massive six.
Arshdeep began the fourth over with a wide, and it looked like Sooryavanshi would take him apart again as the opener then slammed him for another six. But the Indian bowler had the last laugh, removing him in the second ball.
It was a low full toss, around off, Sooryavanshi ended up sending it to Shreyas Iyer for a catch, in the mid-off region. Sooryavanshi departed for 43 runs off 16 balls, in a knock laced with three fours and five sixes, and also striking at 268.75.
Yashasvi Jaiswal continues assault
When Sooryavanshi left, Jaiswal was at 7 off 4 balls, and it looked like PBKS had gained the upper hand. But Jaiswal had other plans, taking on Arshdeep in the fourth delivery, hammering him for a four and then a six over long-off. He ended the over with another four, past mid-on.
PBKS Impact Player Harpreet Brar kept things tight in the fifth over, conceding only two runs and showing that spin could be used as a weapon. Ferguson was sent to end the powerplay, and Jaiswal dispatched him for a four in the first ball and then took a single. Given strike for the final ball, he cut him for another four, this time over backward point.
Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel began to build a steady partnership as RR passed 100 runs in 9 overs. But then Yuzvendra Chahal broke the partnership in the 10th over, removing Jurel (16). Jaiswal got his fifty in the 11th over, smacking a four off the first ball against Chahal. But then, after sending a wide for his second ball, the spinner removed the opener. Receiving a slow, teasing delivery, Jaiswal tried to go big but ended up getting caught at long-off. After Jaiswal’s (51 off 27 balls) departure, RR were at 123/3 in 11.2 overs, more than half of the job was done.
Riyan Parag (29) built a partnership with Donovan Ferreira (52*) and then the latter wrapped up proceedings with Shubham Dubey (31*) in the 19th over.
Message to other teams
RR batters also took a cautious approach against Chahal and Brar, and took on the pacers. Their continuous tempo exposed PBKS’ weaknesses: misfielding, loose deliveries. It also sent a big message to other teams: to defeat PBKS, you should not wait for the match to open up; force it open from the first delivery.