CSK to kick-start their IPL 2026 campaign vs RR: Preview
What's the story
Rajasthan Royals (RR) will face off against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Match No. 3 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. The match, which marks the season opener for both teams, will be played at Guwahati's Baraspara Cricket Stadium on March 30. Both teams would be looking to start their campaigns on a high note after disappointing performances in IPL 2025. Here we look at the match preview.
Details
Pitch report and streaming details
The Baraspara Cricket Stadium usually favors teams bowling first as chasing becomes easier under lights due to dew. The pitch is expected to provide decent support for batters in both innings. However, bowlers have to be disciplined with their line and length as even a slight error can be punished on this batting-friendly surface. Fans can watch the game live on the Star Sports Network and stream the same on the JioHotstar app and website (7:30pm IST).
CSK
Dhoni to miss CSK's first few games
While RR finished ninth last season, CSK's campaign was even worse, having ended last. The five-time champions will be without MS Dhoni, who is unavailable for the first few games due to an injury. Sanju Samson, who was RR's skipper until last season, is likely to take over wicket-keeping duties in Dhoni's absence. While skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad, Dewald Brevis, and Shivam Dube are the other prominent batters, Rahul Chahar, Noor Ahmad, and Khaleel Ahmed are the key bowlers.
RR
Can RR rise under Parag?
RR are also hoping to bounce back this year with a revamped squad. Despite losing Samson, RR have a lot of batting firepower in Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, and Shimron Hetmyer. Riyan Parag is their new captain. In a historic trade, they also bagged the services of Ravindra Jadeja - one of the best all-rounders in IPL history. Jofra Archer and Ravi Bishnoi will headline the bowling attack.
Past encounters
A tight head-to-head record
As per ESPNcricinfo, CSK and RR have locked horns 31 times in the IPL, with the Super Kings winning on 16 occasions. The remaining 15 games have gone in Rajasthan's favor. Though CSK are ahead of RR in terms of overall head-to-head record, the Men in Pink have dominated the recent outings. Since the start of the 2020 season, the five-time champions have lost eight of their 10 matches against RR.
Line-ups
Predicted XIs for CSK & RR
CSK Predicted XI: Sanju Samson (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Ayush Mhatre, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Prashant Veer, Jamie Overton, Anshul Kamboj, Rahul Chahar, Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmed. Impact Player: Kartik Sharma. RR Predicted XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Riyan Parag (c), Shimron Hetmyer, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Dasun Shanaka, Jofra Archer, Sandeep Sharma, Ravi Bishnoi, Adam Milne. Impact Player: Aman Rao Perala.
Performers
Here are the key performers
Gaikwad has scored 273 runs across eight games against the Men in Pink. He averages a brilliant 45.5. Jaiswal's 559 runs last season came at an average of 43 and a strike rate of 159.71. At the 2026 T20 World Cup, Samson bagged the Player-of-the-Tournament award with three back-to-back scores of 85-plus. Jadeja is the only all-rounder with the IPL double of 3,000 runs and 150 wickets.
Poll
