Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru, 16th Match, Indian Premier League 2026 - CommentaryRR vs RCB, 16th Match, Indian Premier League 2026 - Commentary

Just two teams remain unbeaten this season now - RR and PBKS. RCB came into the game high on confidence but were blown away by the sheer audacity of the 15-year-old at the top of the order. RR have started superbly this year, winning 4 in a row. Time to call them as favorites for this year's title? Let's wait and watch. Tomorrow is a Saturday and that means only one thing in the IPL - double-header time. We will be there nice and early. And it's time to bounce here as I, Nikhil Jadhav, Sri Krishna AS and Siva our hard-working scorer take leave for the night. Bye bye.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi | Player of the Match (translated from Hindi): (are you going to cut a cake tonight?) No, no sir, it's not like that. Today we have to sleep a little early because we have to leave early tomorrow, we have an early flight, so we have to leave early. (on batting without fear) No sir, it's not like that, I just try to do what I do in practice, do the same, don't try anything extra and back my natural game. (on having no fear against Bumrah and Hazlewood) At the back of the mind it stays that who is bowling, but I was trying to play the ball, not look at the bowler, and play the ball according to what it is, play my game. (who all are guiding you right now?) Sir, papa is one and also my coaches, here my guardian is Romi sir. So all these people keep telling me that the journey is very long, this has just started, so you have to focus on your process and your work, you have to focus on the game without looking here and there. (on showing disappointment after getting out) Sir, if I stay on the wicket, then another 10-20 runs can be made, if we are chasing the target, then we can finish it two overs earlier, or if we set the target, then 10-20 runs can be made more. So I regret that if I am out by playing a loose shot, then the team is going minus, so I just get a little upset that I could have played longer.

Riyan Parag | RR captain: "Yeah, absolutely. Keeping the previous years in mind, I feel we were not up to the mark in a few years that we've played here, but today I think it was very clinical. It's always about getting better. I feel the way we bowled, the way we started, I would have been happy with 200. But I think the way we clawed back in the middle overs, I still think we were like 20 over par. We should have bowled a little better, executed a little better. Maybe I made a few bad decisions and restricted them to like a 170-ish. But yeah, things to learn every game. (what mistakes were done today while bowling?) I think a few balls here and there. This is a wicket where not a lot of sixes are hit down the ground, especially off spinners. So I felt at some points we gave a little bit of room, played to the batsman's advantage. So I think as we move forward, we learn from these mistakes and try not to repeat them. (on making their homeground a fortress) It's not really that tough. I think we put enough prep in Guwahati and in Jaipur. So I feel once we did our camp in Jaipur, we had enough days of practice here. We know what the black soil does here. Keeps a little low, is a little sticky. So I think we're well prepared for any home game. Didn't really feel like a home game, but we were really prepared. (plans going forward?) I think very high-scoring grounds. Again, like I said, before the start of the season, that's what my chat to the team was that we want to be a team that assesses and adapts really well. And I feel now that we've played on a sticky wicket and we've done so well, once we get a belter, I think we're going to do even better. (on Sooryavanshi) I think everyone loves him. Everyone loves having him around. He likes eating stuff. He likes going out and stuff like that. So we make sure we make that available for him. And he's a 16-year-old kid, 15-year-old, whatever it is. Yeah, doing kiddish things. And he's happy with that. He likes a lot of batting. So we make sure that is presented to him. And if he keeps on batting like that, I think whatever he wants."

Dhruv Jurel | Translated from Hindi: I think not just me, everyone must have liked it the way Vaibhav was batting. When he bats, him and Jaiswal it looks very easy. Watching him, it feels like nothing is happening on the pitch, so we can take our chances. And it went that way. (on his batting) I was just trying. I had practiced this. Last year I was batting lower down the order, but this time the management gave me a chance to bat higher. They told me to just believe in myself and keep playing my shots. I didn’t have to do anything extra - the game is on me, so just back yourself. (on Sooryavanshi) Honestly, even after watching him, you don’t understand how he hits like that. Seriously, you’re left shocked - how can someone hit like this? It feels like we are also batting on the same pitch, so why doesn’t it feel the same for us? He is a great talent. (did he tell anything to Sooryavanshi?) The best thing is to not say anything to him. Let him play the way he plays. And we feel really good that he is in our team. (on their top three) I think we’ve started well. As the middle phase of the IPL comes, they will also step up. In the practice matches, everyone contributed and looked in good touch. Hopefully, their big innings will come soon. (on 200 being easy to make these days) As I said earlier, when Vaibhav bats and gets through the powerplay, it becomes easy for us.

Rajat Patidar | RCB captain: "I think the way we started in the powerplay, the initial wickets, and from there, 202, I think that’s a positive sign for us. And at the same way, the way their batters, especially Vaibhav, batted in the powerplay, I think that made a huge difference. (on using Venky Iyer as impact sub) I think the way we are,  I think in our last matches that was brilliant. But I think there are a lot of learnings from this game. (not able to bring Suyash, did that make a difference?) I think not that much because Venky, Sheppi (Shepherd) and KP were there. So I think we have to manage those overs with all three of our bowlers. I think that not made a huge difference. (a blip, this game) I think if you are playing this kind of competitive cricket, especially IPL, there will be lot of errors. But important is the way you look at it, and you have to learn from your mistakes."

Stats by Shashikant Singh

Most consecutive wins as an IPL captain
10 - Gautam Gambhir (2014-15)
8 - Shane Warne (2008)
8 - Shreyas Iyer (2024-25)
8 - Rajat Patidar (2025-26) — ended today
7 - MS Dhoni (2013)

Most defeats defending 200-plus targets in IPL
7 - PBKS
7 - RCB*
6 - CSK
5 - KKR

Least overs taken to complete a 200-plus chase in IPL
15.4 - RCB vs SRH, Bengaluru, 2026
15.5 - RR vs GT, Jaipur, 2025
16.0 - RCB vs GT, Ahmedabad, 2024
16.3 - MI vs RCB, Wankhede, 2023
17.3 - DC vs GL, Delhi, 2017
18.0 - RR vs RCB, Guwahati, 2026*
18.0 - MI vs SRH, Wankhede, 2023

Successful 200-plus run-chases for RR in IPL
224 vs PBKS, Sharjah, 2020
224 vs KKR, Kolkata, 2024
215 vs Deccan, Hyderabad, 2008
210 vs GT, Jaipur, 2025
202 vs RCB, Guwahati, 2026*

Most times successfully chasing 200-plus in IPL
9 - PBKS
6 - MI
5 - RR*
4 - SRH
4 - RCB

* This is RCB’s first defeat in a designated away game in a group fixture since losing to KKR at the Eden Gardens in 2024.

* This is the third time RR have started their IPL season with four or more consecutive wins; after five straight wins in 2015 and four on the bounce in 2024.

00:03 Local Time, 18:33 GMT, 00:03 IST: Composed celebrations in the RR camp. Sooryavanshi walking forward with a smile on his face. He was the one who tore the game open after the early loss of Jaiswal. His breathtaking assault deflated the RCB camp. Hazlewood was shown no respect either by the 15-year-old. A hundred was there for the taking but a miscued hit found long-on and ended his knock. Hetmyer went next ball and Parag soon after. That gave RCB a sneaky chance but Dhruv Jurel and Ravindra Jadeja's stand shut down those hopes. Jurel may have been outshone by Sooryavanshi on the night but his innings was top-notch. Ensured he calmed the nerves in the dressing room after those quick wickets and still put the bad ball away. RR showing off their batting might and they prove too strong for RCB on the night. Stay tuned for the post-match stuff...

A break in action. Dhruv Jurel gets medical attention.