Dhruv Jurel turned the final over of the powerplay into a surge of momentum for Rajasthan Royals on Friday, smashing 24 runs off Abhinandan Singh as the side raced to 97/1 in match no. 16 of the TATA Indian Premier League 2026. Rajasthan were chasing 202 after Royal Challengers Bengaluru had made 201/8, and Jurel’s over featured three boundaries and two sixes.
The Royals’ 97/1 was their highest-ever score in the first six overs of a game and, at that point, the best powerplay return of the IPL 2026 season. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Jurel had already put on a brisk 100-run stand when the innings reached 8 overs, putting Rajasthan firmly ahead of the chase after they won the toss and chose to field first.
There was more damage in the next two balls. Sooryavanshi was out for 78 off 26 balls in the 8.1 over, and Shimron Hetmyer followed with a first-ball duck, leaving Rajasthan cut from 129/1 to 129/3 in two deliveries. Riyan Parag then walked in and nudged the hat-trick ball from Krunal Pandya for a single, ending the immediate danger.
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The game had been delayed by rain, though no overs were lost. That did not stop Rajasthan from building early pressure in a chase that already looked difficult after Royal Challengers Bengaluru reached 201/8. Rajat Patidar top-scored with 63 before getting out, while Phil Salt was dismissed on the first ball of the innings and Virat Kohli made 32 in a total that briefly saw Bengaluru slip to 94/6.
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Rajasthan and Bengaluru each made one change to their sides for the match, and the Royals’ opening burst offered the cleanest evidence yet that their batting can catch fire fast when the top order gets settled. Jurel’s 24-run over did more than trim the target; it set the tone for an innings that had already moved beyond the ordinary by the end of six overs.
