Review:16th match between RR and RCB held on 10th April26 at Guawati and analyse my early prediction
Review:16th match between RR and RCB held on 10th April26 at Guawati and analyse my early prediction
Rajasthan Royals took on Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the 16th match of Tata IPL 2026 at the ACA Stadium (Barsapara Cricket Stadium) on 10 April. RR won the toss, chose to bowl first, and ended up chasing down 202 with plenty to spare, winning by six wickets and 12 balls remaining. RCB posted 201 for 8, but it never really looked enough once RR got going.
My pre-match call was spot on in the big picture. I tipped RR as the more probable winners thanks to their balanced squad, deeper batting line-up, effective spin options, and that psychological edge of playing at their adopted home ground. And that’s exactly how it played out. Both sides went in unbeaten, but RR stayed perfect at four wins from four, while RCB suffered their first defeat of the season.
How my prediction stacked up
I said RR’s bowlers would need to keep RCB’s top order quiet, and that’s pretty much what happened. Virat Kohli managed only 32 before Ravi Bishnoi’s googly did him in, and the middle order wobbled badly (they were 76 for 5 at one stage). Rajat Patidar fought hard with 63 off 40, and some late hitting from Venkatesh Iyer and Romario Shepherd got them up to 201, but it felt like a score they had to scramble for rather than dominate. RR’s pace-spin mix did the job nicely – Jofra Archer took two early wickets, Bishnoi and the others kept things tight in the middle, and Ravindra Jadeja was economical. My point about RR’s spinners “choking runs” and the balanced attack proved bang on.
On the batting side, I highlighted RR’s depth and strong starts from the openers. The powerplay went for 97 for 1, which set up the chase beautifully. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (brought in as impact sub) absolutely lit the place up with 78 off just 26 balls – video-game stuff, really – and Dhruv Jurel played a superb anchor role with an unbeaten 81 off 43. Even when quick wickets fell after the powerplay (Shimron Hetmyer for a duck, Riyan Parag for just 3), the depth I mentioned carried them through. Jurel and Jadeja calmly knocked off the rest.
The one bit that didn’t quite match my script was Riyan Parag himself – I had him roaring and leading the charge, but he only faced five balls. No matter; the rest of the pink brigade more than made up for it. I also rightly flagged that if Kohli and Glenn Maxwell (who didn’t really fire) exploded, RCB could nick it. They didn’t, and RR’s bowlers contained them just as I predicted.
Overall verdict on my prediction
I nailed the outcome and the key reasons behind it: RR’s balance, spin strength, home comfort in Guwahati, and ability to handle pressure. The game was a high-scoring thriller on paper, but RR made the chase look remarkably straightforward.
My write-up captured the heavyweight feel of the clash perfectly, and the result backed you up.
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