Rajasthan Royals dominated a rain-affected IPL 2026 clash against Mumbai Indians in Guwahati, posting 150/3 in 11 overs and defending it comfortably for a 27-run win. The star of the show was teenage opener Vaibhav Suryavanshi, whose audacious batting drew high praise from MI skipper Hardik Pandya.
‘Vaibhav’s approach is fearless, and it’s exciting to watch. The shots he plays are outstanding. He’s got a bright future ahead—just keep learning from errors,’ Pandya noted after the loss.
MI’s decision to bowl first backfired spectacularly. Suryavanshi and Yashasvi Jaiswal carved up the bowling attack, racing to 80/1 in five overs. Suryavanshi fell for a blistering 39 off 14, but not before tonking Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult, and even Bumrah. Jaiswal’s unbeaten 77, studded with boundaries galore, lifted RR to a daunting total, aided by skipper Riyan Parag’s quick 20.
Chasing 151, MI lost early wickets of Ryan Rickelton, Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, and Pandya himself by the 7-over mark at 41. Late hits from Dhir and Rutherford got them to 123/9, but it wasn’t enough. Archer, Deshpande, Burger, Sandeep, and Bishnoi shared the spoils.
Hardik pinpointed bowling lapses as the culprit. ‘Our bowlers didn’t step up. In T20s, it’s those five key balls that matter. We missed them, and that’s why we lost,’ he admitted candidly. Jaiswal’s fireworks earned him the Player of the Match award.
