Rajasthan Royals (RR) continued their unbeaten run in IPL 2026 with a commanding six-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in Match 16 at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium on Friday. Chasing a daunting 202, RR rode on a stunning batting display to reach 202/4 in just 18 overs, sealing the game with 12 balls to spare.
The chase was headlined by teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who produced a breathtaking 78 off just 26 deliveries. The 15-year-old smashed eight fours and seven sixes, bringing up his half-century in a mere 15 balls to put RCB under immediate pressure. He found solid support in Dhruv Jurel, who anchored the innings with a composed unbeaten 81 off 43 balls, guiding the Royals home.
RR’s aggressive intent was evident right from the start as they raced to 97/1 in the powerplay, effectively taking the game away from RCB early. A century partnership between Sooryavanshi and Jurel laid the perfect foundation before a calm, unbeaten 50-run stand between Jurel and Ravindra Jadeja (24*) ensured there were no late hiccups.
Earlier, RCB posted a competitive 201/8, thanks largely to skipper Rajat Patidar, who played a fighting knock of 63 off 40 balls. Venkatesh Iyer provided late impetus with a brisk 29 off 15 deliveries to push the total past the 200-mark.
RCB’s innings began on a dramatic note as Jofra Archer dismissed Phil Salt off the very first ball with a sharp bouncer. Virat Kohli looked in fluent touch during his 32 off 16, while Devdutt Padikkal added quick runs in a 45-run stand, but RR struck back swiftly.
The turning point came when Ravi Bishnoi removed Kohli with a clever googly before dismissing Krunal Pandya soon after. Archer returned to pick up another key wicket as RCB slipped from a promising start to 76/5 in 8.4 overs.
Romario Shepherd (22 off 11) briefly counterattacked, but it was Patidar and Iyer who rebuilt the innings with a crucial partnership. Patidar accelerated impressively after a cautious start, striking multiple sixes before falling to Sandeep Sharma, while Iyer’s late hitting ensured RCB crossed 200.
For RR, Archer, Bishnoi and Brijesh Sharma claimed two wickets each, while Sandeep Sharma and Jadeja chipped in with one apiece.
Brief Scores:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru 201/8 in 20 overs (Rajat Patidar 63, Virat Kohli 32; Ravi Bishnoi 2-32, Jofra Archer 2-33)
Rajasthan Royals 202/4 in 18 overs (Vaibhav Sooryavanshi 78, Dhruv Jurel 81*)
RR won by 6 wickets.
Playing XIs:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (c), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Abhinandan Singh, Josh Hazlewood
Impact Subs: Jacob Bethell, Rasikh Salam, Suyash Sharma, Venkatesh Iyer, Kanishk Chouhan
Rajasthan Royals: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Riyan Parag (c), Shimron Hetmyer, Donovan Ferreira, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger, Sandeep Sharma, Ravi Bishnoi, Brijesh Sharma
Impact Subs: Shubham Dubey, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Tushar Deshpande, Ravi Singh, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi