RR’s Ravi Bishnoi credits their unbeaten IPL 2026 start to team effort and a positive environment. The team defeated RCB by 6 wickets, extending their winning streak to four games, with Sooryavanshi named Player of the Match.
Bishnoi Credits Collective Effort for Unbeaten Start
Rajasthan Royals (RR) leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi has attributed the franchise’s strong start in IPL 2026 to collective team performance and a highly positive dressing room environment. Speaking on JioHotstar after the Royals’ comfortable win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Bishnoi said the team was delighted with its unbeaten run, having won all four matches so far and sitting at the top of the table. He credited the consistency not to individual brilliance, but to contributions from across the squad.
“We are really happy because we have won four out of four and are the table-toppers. Hopefully, we will continue to play the brand of cricket that we are playing,” Bishnoi said. The spinner emphasised that the Rajasthan Royals have been performing as a unit, with multiple players stepping up at different stages of matches. “We are playing some good cricket and performing as a team. It’s not like one or two players are performing.”
Bishnoi also pointed to the strong starts the team has been getting with the bat, which he believes has helped them close out games more effectively and maintain momentum throughout the tournament. “The starts we are getting with the bat, we will keep finishing games quickly.”
Reflecting on the team environment, Bishnoi underlined the importance of winning in building confidence and maintaining a positive atmosphere within the squad. “Winning always makes a difference to a team atmosphere. It remains ultra-positive,” he noted. He further highlighted the advantage of having a relatively young group of players, saying the shared age group helps build better understanding and communication within the team. “Most of us are in the same age group, so we understand each other very well, and I think that is creating a big difference for this team.”
RR Defeats RCB in High-Scoring Chase
Royal Challengers Bengaluru posted 201/8 after a strong recovery from a poor start against Rajasthan Royals at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium, where the match started after a delay due to rain. RCB were reduced to 62/4 and later 94/6 despite early wickets from Jofra Archer and a brief start from Virat Kohli. Captain Rajat Patidar anchored the innings with a 63 off 40 balls, while Venkatesh Iyer’s unbeaten 29 off 15 provided a late boost as RCB crossed 200.
However, Rajasthan Royals defeated Royal Challengers Bengaluru by six wickets, extending their unbeaten run to four straight wins while handing RCB their first loss of the season. Chasing 202, RR’s Sooryavanshi and Jurel combined for a 108-run stand, setting up a dominant chase, with Ravindra Jadeja also contributing an unbeaten 24 as RR reached the target in 18 overs.
Sooryavanshi Shines with Bat, Claims Orange Cap
Sooryavanshi was also named Player of the Match for his match-winning knock, which helped RR chase down a 202-run target with 12 balls and six wickets left. He hit eight fours and seven sixes in his brutal knock.
After hitting 78 runs, Sooryavanshi also got the Orange Cap for being the highest scorer of the season with 200 runs in just four innings. He has made 452 runs in his IPL career, comprising 11 innings with an average of 41 and a strike rate of 229. (ANI)
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