Rajasthan Royals suffered a dramatic middle- and lower-order collapse to finish at 155/9 against Kolkata Knight Riders in their Indian Premier League 2026 encounter at Eden Gardens on Sunday.
After opting to bat, RR looked in complete control early on, thanks to an 81-run opening stand between Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. The pair combined caution with aggression, taking the side to 63 without loss in the powerplay and accelerating effectively, including a 22-run sixth over.
Jaiswal displayed fluent strokeplay, while Sooryavanshi gathered momentum after a measured start.
The introduction of spin changed the course of the innings.
Varun Chakaravarthy dismissed Sooryavanshi for 46, triggering a collapse. The spinner also reached the milestone of 200 T20 wickets during his spell.
Chakaravarthy, alongside Sunil Narine, tightened control through the middle overs, reducing the scoring rate and picking up key wickets.
Jaiswal fell for 39 as he tried to accelerate. The opposition stumped Dhruv Jurel soon after, leaving RR at 124/5 from 81/0.
A brief rebuilding effort from Shimron Hetmyer and Ravindra Jadeja failed to revive the innings.
The final overs saw further collapse as Kartik Tyagi claimed three wickets in a decisive over, dismissing Jadeja, Hetmyer, and Ravi Bishnoi.
RR added just 16 runs for the loss of five wickets after reaching 139/4 in 14 overs, underlining the extent of the collapse.
Kolkata’s disciplined bowling effort, led by Chakaravarthy (3/14) and Tyagi (3/22), ensured the Royals were restricted to a below-par total.
Brief Scores:
Rajasthan Royals 155/9 in 20 overs (Vaibhav Sooryavanshi 46, Yashasvi Jaiswal 39; Varun Chakaravarthy 3-14, Kartik Tyagi 3-22)
Also Read: IPL 2026: RR Opt To Bat vs KKR After Toss At Eden Gardens
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