After early concerns of rain looming over the ACA-Barsapara Stadium, it was Rajasthan Royals who unleashed a storm — not from the skies, but with the ball — to dismantle Chennai Super Kings in emphatic fashion on Monday.

Opting to bowl first, the Royals delivered a relentless performance that bundled out CSK for a modest 127, setting the tone for a one-sided contest. The damage began almost immediately when Sanju Samson’s much-anticipated outing ended abruptly. A sharp delivery from Nandre Burger crashed into his stumps in just the second over.

Things worsened rapidly for CSK as Jofra Archer produced a fiery spell, removing skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad with a full delivery that shattered the stumps. Burger struck again soon after, forcing Ayush Mhatre into a glove-edged dismissal for a duck, leaving CSK in deep trouble at 19 for three.

A brief counterattack came from Sarfaraz Khan, who attempted to shift momentum with aggressive strokeplay. However, wickets continued to tumble. Sandeep Sharma removed Mathew Short, while debutant Kartik Sharma’s promising cameo was cut short.

The turning point came when Ravindra Jadeja struck twice in quick succession, trapping Sarfaraz and dismissing Shivam Dube, ensuring CSK never recovered. Despite a fighting 43 from Jamie Overton, the total barely crossed 120.

Chasing 128, Rajasthan Royals made light work of the target, thanks to a breathtaking knock from Vaibhav Suryavanshi. The young batter lit up the evening with a blistering 52 off just 17 balls, smashing five sixes and four boundaries in a fearless display.

With skipper Riyan Parag leading from the front, Royals cruised to an eight-wicket victory with 47 balls to spare, underlining their dominance in every department.

What began as a weather-threatened evening turned into a showcase of Rajasthan’s firepower, as their bowlers set up the win before Suryavanshi’s explosive innings sealed a commanding start to the season.