Published: Mar 30, 2026, 01:19 PM (IST)
Edited: Mar 30, 2026, 01:19 PM (IST)
The third match of IPL 2026 will see Rajasthan Royals take on Chennai Super Kings at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati. This promises to be a thrilling contest as both teams have a history of close battles.
Rajasthan Royals will be led by their new captain Riyan Parag. The team has made some big changes by trading for Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran. However, they received a major blow as Sam Curran is out of the tournament due to injury. He has been replaced by Dasun Shanaka.
A lot of attention will be on 15-year-old sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi. The young left-hander has been in outstanding form over the past year, and this season could be a big stepping stone in his career. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel will also be eager to make an impact with the bat, while Shimron Hetmyer comes into the match in red-hot form after the T20 World Cup.
Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals have faced each other 31 times in the IPL. CSK have won 16 matches, while Rajasthan Royals have won 15. In 2025, RR won both encounters between the two sides.
Chennai Super Kings have suffered an early setback as MS Dhoni will miss the initial matches due to injury. Sanju Samson is expected to take over wicket-keeping duties. Ruturaj Gaikwad and Sanju Samson will likely open the batting, with Ayush Mhatre batting at No. 3. Shivam Dube, Sarfaraz Khan, and Urvil Patel will handle the middle order, while Dewald Brevis is also expected to play a key role.
CSK’s pace department appears slightly weak this season after Nathan Ellis was ruled out due to injury. The responsibility will now fall on Khaleel Ahmed, Anshul Kamboj, Mukesh Choudhary, Matt Henry, and Spencer Johnson. The spin attack will be led by Akila Dananjaya and Noor Ahmad.
This match pits Rajasthan Royals’ exciting new leadership under Riyan Parag against a Chennai Super Kings side missing their former legendary captain MS Dhoni. With young talent like Vaibhav Suryavanshi and experienced players on both sides, fans can expect a high-quality contest in Guwahati.
Rajasthan Royals players: Riyan Parag (c), Dhruv Jurel, Donovan Ferreira, Ravi Singh, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubham Dubey, Lhuan-Dre Pretorius, Shimron Hetmyer, Aman Rao, Ravindra Jadeja, Dasun Shanaka, Yudhvir Singh, Jofra Archer, Tushar Deshpande, Kwena Maphaka, Nandre Burger, Sushant Mishra, Kuldeep Sen, Adam Milne, Brijesh Sharma, Ravi Bishnoi, Vignesh Puthur, Yash Punja.
Chennai Super Kings players: Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), MS Dhoni, Sanju Samson, Dewald Brewis, Ayush Mhatre, Kartik Sharma, Sarfaraz Khan, Urvil Patel, Anshul Kamboj, Jamie Overton, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Prashant Veer, Mathew William Short, Aman Khan, Zak Foulkes, Shivam Dube, Khaleel Ahmed, Noor Ahmad, Mukesh Choudhary, Spencer Johnson, Shreyas Gopal, Gurjapneet Singh, Akeal Hosein, Matt Henry, Rahul Chahar.
