The Rajasthan Royals (RR) won the toss against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Guwahati and elected to bowl first here on Saturday in their IPL 2026 campaign opener. Under overcast conditions on a red-soil pitch that had been underneath covers for most of time, new Indian captain Riyan Parag made an auspicious call.
CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, too, said he would have preferred fielding first in such conditions as seamers might get assistance early. Even though they lost the toss, CSK had set a balanced side (youth has been balanced with experience) that built to put in a competitive total.
Rajasthan’s playing XI featured a major talking point that was them opting to field just three overseas players in their playing XI, Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger and Shimron Hetmyer. However, this option gives flexibility later in the innings with Donovan Ferreira or Lhuan-dre Pretorius both options as Impact Players during the chase.
RR also gave a memorable debut to uncapped Bengal pacer Brijesh Sharma, who earned his place after some impressive performances in the Bengal Pro T20 League 2025. His selection illustrates the franchise’s seeking to develop rising native talent around established names.
While, CSK was stricken with a new blow as they had injuries to star players. The unavailability of MS Dhoni and Dewald Brevis resulted in substantial changes to the side. Australian all-rounder Matthew Short was also handed a debut and Rajasthan wicketkeeper-batter Kartik Sharma played for the franchise after being bought at the auction for a whopping INR 14.2 crore.
CSK’s squad, interestingly, still boasted of depth with the likes of Matt Henry, Noor Ahmad and Jamie Overton counting as overseas members of the playing XI. The team also went with a bowling-heavy combination, having Noor Ahmad at No. 8 to ensure that up to seven options would be available with the ball.
CSK’s Impact Player strategy was also flexible. In case there is a batting collapse, they can play Sarfaraz Khan to strengthen the middle order. However, another Easterner in high-profile buy Prashant Veer, couldn’t find a place in the XI despite being one of the most expensive purchases.
Either team comes into this season with something to prove. RR and CSK are eager to turn their fortunes around after finishing at the bottom of the table in IPL 2025. Fresh leadership, new signings and young talents stepping up to the plate mean that this match could define their campaigns.
As the match progresses, RR’s bowlers will play a major role in capitalising on early conditions and whether CSK’s new look batting order can step up to the occasion.
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