Synopsis: In a match reduced to 11-overs per side, Yashasvi Jaiswal’s 77 and an all-round bowling effort helped RR beat MI.
The set an early marker as the team to beat in 2026, trouncing by 27 runs to clinch their third win in a row in .
These may be early days of IPL 2026, and much of the attention around Rajasthan Royals () has been on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. But on Tuesday, it was Yashasvi Jaiswal who showed why he remains just as important to their batting line-up.
In a curtailed 11-over game against in Guwahati, Jaiswal came out with clear intent. There was no time to settle, and from the very first ball, he looked ready to take control. MI pacer Deepak Chahar was driven over mid-wicket for four. The next ball was dispatched over the same region for a six. A third boundary followed over point. In the space of a few deliveries, the left-hander had set the tone for the innings.
He did not slow down after that. Two more boundaries came in the opening over, as RR made a flying start. At the other end, Sooryavanshi was also finding his range, but his senior partner looked determined to make this his night.
, returning after missing the previous game against , was also taken apart. RR had raced to 58 runs in a powerplay reduced to 3.2 overs. The MI bowlers were well and truly under the pump.
They did manage to pull things back briefly. The wickets of Dhruv Jurel and Riyan Parag gave them a window. At that stage, RR needed someone to bat deep and hold the innings together. Jaiswal did exactly that.
He stayed unbeaten on 77 from 32 balls, anchoring the innings while still scoring at a brisk rate. His knock was well-balanced. Four sixes came on the on-side, while most of his boundaries came through the off-side. He also rotated the strike well, picking up 13 singles.
In a team where a teenager has grabbed much of the spotlight, Jaiswal reminded everyone of his own quality. Earlier, alongside Jos Buttler, he was the young tyro who could express himself freely. Now, in Buttler’s absence, he has stepped up as the senior batter. On this showing, RR have more than one match-winner at the top.
For a bowler widely regarded as one of the best in the world, it has been a rare, quiet start to IPL 2026 for . For the third match in a row against RR on Tuesday, MI’s bowling talisman went wicketless, going for 32 runs in his three overs after returning with figures of 0/35 against and 0/21 against .
The 32-year-old was put under pressure from the outset. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi took him on in his first over, hitting two sixes. then held him back and brought him on later.
Initially, Bumrah was a bit too straight or short. Later, even his yorkers missed their mark. A home game against on Sunday could be his chance to find rhythm again.
