RR vs RCB highlights, IPL 2026: Dhruv Jurel, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi power Rajasthan Royals to 6-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Guwahati

RCB sink further into trouble as Krunal Pandya becomes the fourth wicket to fall. Brijesh Sharma makes an instant impact, striking in his very first over to trap Jitesh Sharma lbw.

The collapse continues as RCB lose half their side within the first nine overs of the innings. Tim David tries to counterattack against Brijesh but is caught at long-on, leaving RCB six down.

Despite the setbacks, RCB bring up their 100 in the 12th over. Romario Shepherd then opens his account in style, smashing a six to give the innings a brief lift.

Romario Shepherd hits Brijesh Sharma for back-to-back boundaries. Poor bowling fro Brijesh and Shepherd gives him treatment. Good over for RCB. 15 runs off Brijesh's over.

RCB 119/6 in 13 overs vs RR

First six in 11.4 overs by RCB - the longest an IPL match has gone without a six this season.

SIX! First SIX of the matc. This comes in 12th over. Romario Shepherd gets underneath the ball and whacks this over long off fence. Superb hit from the batter.

RCB 103/6 in 11.5 overs vs RR

WICKET! Brijesh Sharma dismisses Tim David for 13 runs. Big big wicket at the moment. RCB are in serious trouble at the moment.

10 overs gone!

RCB 89/5

Tim David 11*, Rajat Patidar 16*

RCB need a big stand at the moment. They are already 5 downa nd can't afford to lose another wicket.

WICKET! A loud LBW appeal from Brijesh Sharma against Jitesh Sharma. Up goes the finger. Jitesh comes forward and is having a chat with Rajat Patidar. He is not takign a review. He is walking back. RCB are in deep trouble now. They are 5 down.

RCB 76/5 in 8.4 overs vs RR

FOUR! Ravindra Jadeja to Rajat Patidar. The RCB captain coems down the track and plays this inside out and sends the ball towards deep extra cover region. Once bounce and a boundary.

RCB 71/4 in 7.5 overs vs RR

WICKET!

Ravi Bishnoi strikes again, Krunal Pandya goes for 1. Krunal is caught by Shimron Hetmyer. It is a good catch. Bishnoi bowls a googly from over the wicket. Pandya steps out of his crease and comes down the pitch. He tries to hit the ball down the ground. But he does not get proper timing or elevation. The shot goes flat towards long-off. Hetmyer runs in from the boundary and takes a clean catch. Bishnoi picks up another wicket and celebrates again.

RCB 62/4 in 6.2 overs vs RR

Jofra Archer makes an instant impact by striking on the very first ball of the match, removing Phil Salt for a duck. Nandre Burger then concedes an expensive second over as RCB collect 19 runs to recover early momentum.

Archer strikes again soon after, sending Devdutt Padikkal back to the pavilion to claim his second wicket. Ravi Bishnoi then joins the action, dismissing Virat Kohli and leaving RCB in deep trouble.

By the end of the powerplay, RCB have already lost three key wickets.

WICKET! Ravin Bishnoi castles Virat Kohli for 32 runs. Bishnoi gets the big fish. Kohli is bowled by Bishnoi. It is a big wicket in the match. Bishnoi bowls a clever googly and tosses the ball up outside off stump. Kohli tries to play an attacking drive on the rise. But he does not read the turn properly. The ball spins away and beats his bat. Kohli loses his balance and misses the shot completely. The ball hits the stumps and Bishnoi celebrates the big wicket.

RCB 58/3 in 4.5 overs vs RR

Padikkal vs Archer in T20s

4 innings
29 balls
32 runs
Two dismissals
SR 110.3

FOUR! FOUR! Virat Kohli hits Sandeep sharma for back-to-back boundaries. First he goes inside out and plays over mid off and now a super cover drive. Classical Kohli.

10 runs off Sandeep's over.

Kohli moves to 31 off 13 balls.

RCB 55/2 in 4 overs vs RR

WICKET! Jofra Archer strikes again. Secodn over from him and he takes another wicket. Devdutt Padikkal falls for 14 runs. A 45-run stand comes to an end between Padikkal and Kohli now. There was an extra bounce. Padikkal gets a leading edge. Shimron Hetmyer takes a super catch.

RCB 45/2 in 2 overs vs RR

Most times taking wicket on first-ball of an innings in IPL

5 - Mohammed Shami
3 - Pravin Kumar
3 - Umesh Yadav
3 - Trent Boult
3 - Lasith Malinga
3 - Bhuvneshwar Kumar
3 - Ashok Dinda
3 - Pat Cummins
3 - Jofra Archer*

FOUR! FOUR! FOUR! Virat Kohli show begins now. He is taking on Jofra Archer. He has hit three boundries off Acher's over. The England pacer is under pressure.

Most times dismissed on first-ball of an innings in IPL

4 - Parthiv Patel
3 - Dwayne Smith
3 - Prithvi Shaw
3 - KL Rahul
3 - Phil Salt*

Salt is the first batter to be dismissed three times on the first ball of an IPL match.

Devdutt Padikkal hits two back-to-back boundaries off Jofra Archer. And now Virat Kohli joins the party. He hits a boundary off the last delivery of Archer's over.

13 runs and a wicket off Archer's over.

RCB 13/1 in 1 over vs RR

WICKET!

Jofra Archer removes Phil Salt for a duck. Archer bowls to Salt and gets him out. Salt is caught by Dhruv Jurel off Archer for a golden duck. Archer delivers a fast ball on a hard length. The ball pitches on middle stump and comes back in quickly. Salt is beaten by the bounce and movement. The ball rises off the pitch and takes the edge. Jurel takes a sharp catch behind the wicket. Archer wins the battle and celebrates the wicket with great joy.

RCB 0/1 in 0.1 over vs RR

RCB openers Virat Kohli and Phil Salt are in the middle to open

Jofra Archer will open the attack

Here we go ... !!!

No overs lost.

8.40-10.10 - first innings.

10 minutes break.

10.20-11.50 - second innings.

UPDATE!

If no further rain, match begins at 8:40 PM IST

Good news!

Rain has stopped.

Covers are coming off.

Oh no!

The rain is back.

Covers are back on.

Here are the Impact substitutes for both the teams:

Royal Challengers Bengaluru Impact Subs: Suyash Sharma, Jacob Bethell, Rasikh Salam Dar, Kanishk Chouhan, Venkatesh Iyer

Rajasthan Royals Impact Subs: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Ravi Singh, Shubham Dubey, Tushar Deshpande

Rajasthan Royals (Playing XI): Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel(w), Riyan Parag(c), Shimron Hetmyer, Donovan Ferreira, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger, Sandeep Sharma, Ravi Bishnoi, Brijesh Sharma

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Playing XI): Virat Kohli, Philip Salt, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar(c), Jitesh Sharma(w), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Abhinandan Singh, Josh Hazlewood

Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag wins toss, opts to field vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru

Good news!

TOSS will take place at 8:00 PM

Play will start at 8:15 PM

Good news, folks

The rain has reduced significantly.

The ground staff are back on the field and have started peeling off the covers.

The toss of the IPL match between Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru has been delayed due to rain in Guwahati.

RR are currently at the top of the table with three wins from as many games, while defending champions RCB are placed third with two wins from as many matches.

It’s still raining, but the ground staff are working hard to ensure no water settles on the pitch.

The super soppers are in action at the moment.

Fans are waiting eagerly for the rain to stop, with umbrellas up across the stands.

It’s raining steadily now, with the ground staff rushing to cover the remaining areas of the outfield.

It began as a drizzle but has now intensified into a heavy downpour.

The toss has officially been delayed.

Main pitch is under the cover.

More covers are coming on at the moment.

Toss going to be delayed? We will get to know in some time.

Oh no!

Bad news, folks!

A light drizzle. Groundsmen are bringing the covers on.

A loud roar from the Guwahati crowd as Virat Kohli walks to the middle for warm up. All eyes will be on two cricketers today - young sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and batting stalwart Virat Kohli.

Former South Africa pacer Dale Steyn has revealed his top five Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) bowlers of all time in the Indian Premier League (IPL), placing leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal at the top of the list.

Steyn, known for his sharp insights on the game, ranked former India captain Anil Kumble at No.5, praising the legendary spinner’s effectiveness at the batting-friendly M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. Kumble was the captain of RCB from 2009 to 2010. He played 51 matches for the team and took 51 wickets at an average of 24.58.

"At No.5, I’ve got Anil Kumble. Just as a spinner, bowling a lot at Chinnaswamy to do as well as he has, he makes my top five," Steyn told ESPNcricinfo.

At No.4, Steyn picked Harshal Patel for his wicket-taking ability and impact in matches. Patel is the second-highest wicket-taker for RCB in IPL history with 99 wickets to his name from just 80 matches. This also includes one five-wicket and two four-wicket hauls.

“Harshal Patel, the numbers tell me he’s a wicket-taker. His economy rate is really good, and his influence in games, in terms of helping RCB win, is pretty big too,” he added.

Australian left-arm quick Mitchell Starc was slotted at No.3, with Steyn lauding his ability to pick wickets consistently while maintaining an impressive economy rate. Starc played only 27 matches for RCB and took 34 wickets.

“You can’t go very far without leaving this man out. Mitchell Starc — such a wicket-taker, fantastic economy, and an absolute gun when it comes to picking wickets,” he said.

At No.2, Steyn chose Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood, underlining his remarkable strike rate. Hazlewood is currently with the RCB squad in IPL 2026. He has picked 45 wickets in just 27 matches for the franchise.

“Josh Hazlewood is an incredible bowler. A strike rate of 13 means basically every two overs he’s taking a wicket. That’s pretty magical,” Steyn noted.

Topping the list was Chahal, RCB’s leading wicket-taker in IPL history, with Steyn emphasising his consistency and match-winning ability. Chahal took 139 wickets in 113 matches for RCB at an impressive average of 22.03.

“At No.1, it’s Yuzi Chahal. He strikes every 17 balls, his economy is around 7.6, and he’s taken the most wickets — he’s my No.1,” Steyn said.

Meanwhile, RCB has not lost any match in the IPL 2026. They will face the Rajasthan Royals at Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati on Friday.

There is no prediction of rain during the match.

A brief spells of drizzle were expected earlier in the day but fans can witness a full game tonight.

Former RCB skipper Virat Kohli is closing in on a major IPL milestone, needing just three more sixes to reach 300 in his career. Achieving this feat will place him among elite hitters like Chris Gayle and Rohit Sharma. Kohli has been in strong form recently, making it likely that he will reach the landmark soon.

With an upcoming match against Rajasthan Royals, a team he has historically performed well against, expectations are high that he could achieve this milestone in the very next game.

RCB all-rounder Romario Shepherd reflected on his journey from growing up in Linden, Guyana, to representing one of the biggest franchises in the IPL, while also speaking about his early cricketing days, inspiration from Dwayne Bravo, his breakthrough in white-ball cricket, and life inside the RCB dressing room.

Named after football legend Romario, Shepherd recalled his earliest memories of cricket when he had to improvise with whatever was available, according to a press release from the RCB.

"I used to play cricket in a small opening in my yard. Sometimes we made the ball with wood or used coconut branches to make a bat," he recalled. "Whenever the ball hit your shin, there were no pads because we were barefoot, so you had to defend your foot."

His journey into organised cricket began during his school years. Notably, he was not always the destructive six-hitter he is known as today.

"In the first game I played, I scored 129 and batted through the 40 overs, with no sixes. At that time, I was not a big hitter. All I knew was to find the gaps."

As Shepherd progressed through age-group cricket, his role gradually evolved into that of a multi-dimensional player inspired by one of West Indies' modern greats.

"Whenever you listened to the radio, there was always one name you heard doing everything, batting, bowling and fielding, and that was Dwayne Bravo," Shepherd said. "I wanted to be like that guy."

His breakthrough in white-ball cricket came in 2018 during the Caribbean Premier League, where his performances quickly began drawing attention.

"2018 is when people started taking my white-ball cricket seriously," Shepherd said. "I started bowling a lot of yorkers and hitting the ball, and commentators like Ian Bishop were saying this kid has something about him."

One of the moments that stood out that season came when he faced his childhood inspiration.

"The first ball I faced was from Dwayne Bravo and I hit it for six ways back in the crowd," Shepherd said. "That was big for me because he was someone I looked up to."

Shepherd's journey eventually brought him to the IPL and Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

"When I was watching cricket growing up, RCB was always one of the teams West Indians supported because Chris Gayle was on that team," Shepherd said.

Reflecting on his time with the franchise, Shepherd spoke about the strong environment within the dressing room.

"Everyone knows TD (Tim David) is my guy. Salt, Bethell, even VK, I did not know he was this funny," Shepherd said with a smile. "You see Virat Kohli on the cricket field, and he is so intense, but off the field, he is actually a very funny guy."

He also highlighted the influence of senior players and the positive atmosphere within the squad.

"These guys make me happy, especially when you are away from home for so long," Shepherd said. "It is an unbelievable group of guys, both on and off the cricket field. RCB is blessed to have senior players mixed with younger players in one dressing room."

For Shepherd, representing RCB also comes with a unique global connection with fans.

"RCB gave me a chance and the opportunity to go out there and represent one of the biggest franchises in the IPL," he said. "It changes the way people follow you."

"Even when I am playing for West Indies in other parts of the world, people are still chanting 'RCB, RCB'," Shepherd added. "When you walk out to represent RCB, you realise it is more than just a franchise. It feels like a family."

Two in-form teams - Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru - will square off in the 16th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium (ACA Stadium) in Guwahati on Friday, with one team poised to apply brakes on the other team’s winning streak.

Rajasthan Royals have surged to the top of the standings after winning all three of their matches so far, with victories over Chennai Super Kings, Gujarat Titans, and Mumbai Indians. Meanwhile, Royal Challengers Bengaluru head into the contest on the back of consecutive wins against Sunrisers Hyderabad and Chennai.

Both sides boast formidable batting units, though Rajasthan appear slightly more settled with the ball under the leadership of Riyan Parag. The pace attacks on either side are equally threatening with the new ball. Jacob Duffy and Bhuvneshwar Kumar spearhead Bengaluru’s attack, while Jofra Archer partners with Nandre Burger at the top for Rajasthan.

A key battle will be how Bengaluru handle Rajasthan’s aggressive opening combination of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who have been in destructive form this season. In response, the defending champions will rely on Virat Kohli and Phil Salt to provide a steady start, paving the way for a late onslaught from Tim David, who made a significant impact in the previous outing against Chennai.

When: Friday, April 10, 7:30 PM IST

Where: Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati

Where to watch: The RR vs RCB match will be broadcast on Star Sports channels, with JioHotstar live-streaming the game.

Squads:

Rajasthan Royals: Riyan Parag (c), Dhruv Jurel, Donovan Ferreira, Lhuan-Dre Pretorius, Ravi Singh, Aman Perala, Shimron Hetmyer, Shubham Dubey, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ravindra Jadeja, Dasun Shanaka, Adam Milne, Brijesh Sharma, Jofra Archer, Kuldeep Sen, Kwena Maphaka, Nandre Burger, Ravi Bishnoi, and Sandeep Sharma

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Rajat Patidar (c), Tim David, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Philip Salt, Jitesh Sharma, Jacob Bethell, Krunal Pandya, Romario Shepherd, Abhinandan Singh, Josh Hazlewood, Rasikh Salam Dar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Suyash Sharma, Swapnil Singh, Nuwan Thushara, Venkatesh Iyer, Jacob Duffy, Jordan Cox, Vicky Ostwal, Vihaan Malhotra, Kanishk Chouhan, Mangesh Yadav, Satvik Deswal

Former India cricketer Anjum Chopra expressed strong confidence that Royal Challengers Bengaluru are capable of defending their Indian Premier League (IPL) title.

Drawing parallels with successful franchises like Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings, she emphasised that consistency is key to making the playoffs. RCB had clinched their maiden IPL title by defeating Punjab Kings by six runs in the 2025 final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, ending an 18-year wait for the trophy.

Chopra added that teams which build momentum early and sustain form can go all the way, noting that a new champion could emerge this season, while RCB also remain strong contenders to defend their crown.

Speaking to ANI, Anjum Chopra said, "Yes, they can definitely do it. Mumbai has done it, Chennai has done it, RCB can also do it, and again, the team that consistently plays well will reach the playoffs. All the teams reaching the playoffs start from the blocks, exactly where they left off, so they can definitely do it, there can become a new champion, and RCB can also defend their IPL title."

Chopra believes RCB look like the most well-organised side this season, carrying forward their strong momentum as defending champions. She added that they have not only picked up from where they left off last year but have appeared even more impressive and balanced in the current campaign.

"RCB is looking good, they are looking like the most organised team, because they are the defending champions, they started from where they left off last season. In fact, they are even looking better this season," she added.

RCB have won both their opening matches of IPL 2026 and currently sit third on the points table with four points and an impressive Net Run Rate (NRR) of +2.501.

Chopra also felt that Punjab Kings are in strong form, having reached the final last season and therefore knowing exactly how to build on that experience.

"Punjab is also looking very good. They also played the final last year, so they know where it ended, and from where to start again. They have also started well," she concluded.

PBKS have also begun their IPL 2026 campaign on a high, winning two of their three matches while one game ended in a draw. Punjab are currently placed second on the points table with five points.

Rajasthan Royals: Riyan Parag (c), Dhruv Jurel, Donovan Ferreira, Lhuan-Dre Pretorius, Ravi Singh, Aman Perala, Shimron Hetmyer, Shubham Dubey, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran, Adam Milne, Brijesh Sharma, Jofra Archer, Kuldeep Sen, Kwena Maphaka, Nandre Burger, Ravi Bishnoi and Sandeep Sharma.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Rajat Patidar (captain), Abhinandan Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Devdutt Padikkal, Jitesh Sharma, Krunal Pandya, Rasikh Dar, Suyash Sharma, Swapnil Singh, Virat Kohli, Venkatesh Iyer, Mangesh Yadav, Kanishk Chouhan, Vihaan Malhotra, Vicky Ostwal, Satvik Deswal.

Skipper Rajat Patidar and big-hitting Australian Tim David add solidity to the middle order.

However, it is RCB’s transformation with the ball that has stood out. Once considered their Achilles’ heel, the attack now looks far more balanced. Jacob Duffy has stepped up in the absence of Josh Hazlewood, delivering incisive spells, while Krunal Pandya and Suyash Sharma have effectively controlled the middle overs.

Meanwhile, the Royals have emerged as one of the most explosive batting units this season, driven by the opening pair of Jaiswal and teenage sensation Sooryavanshi.

The duo has consistently provided flying starts, blending clean hitting with fearless stroke play to put opposition attacks under early pressure.

Sooryavanshi, in particular, has grabbed attention with his audacious stroke-making, including a six off the very first ball he faced from Jasprit Bumrah in the previous game, underlining his fearless approach.

While the 15-year-old has dominated headlines, Jaiswal has quietly showcased his class, anchoring the innings with an unbeaten 77 against Mumbai Indians, combining composure with attacking flair.

Their bowling unit has also been impressive, executing plans with precision — whether hitting hard lengths or nailing yorkers at the death — making Rajasthan a well-rounded side.