IPL 2026: CSK Faces RR in Season Opener Amid Dhoni's Injury

The IPL 2026 season kicks off with a thrilling match between Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals at Barsapara Cricket Stadium. With MS Dhoni out due to injury, Sanju Samson's debut for CSK adds excitement. Both teams have a balanced rivalry, and the pitch conditions favor bowlers. Discover the key players, stats, and probable lineups as the teams prepare for this highly anticipated clash.

By Narendra Chaudhary Mar 30, 2026, 15:35 IST

Match Preview: CSK vs RR

The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are set to begin their IPL 2026 journey against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium located in Guwahati. Unfortunately, MS Dhoni will not participate in this match as he is sidelined for the first two weeks due to an injury. This match will mark the debut of Sanju Samson for CSK, who was acquired from RR in a trade that involved Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran. CSK will also rely on captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, along with players like Sarfaraz Khan, Matthew Short, and Shivam Dube. However, they will miss Dewald Brevis, while bowlers such as Matt Henry, Noor Ahmed, and Khaleel Ahmed are expected to play crucial roles.

On the other hand, the Rajasthan Royals will look to Vaibhav Suryavanshi for a strong start, with Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhurv Jurel, and Riyan Parag, who will captain the team, being key players in the batting lineup. The bowling attack, featuring Jofra Archer, Adam Milne, and Ravindra Jadeja, adds to the strength of the Royals.

Pitch Conditions at Barsapara Cricket Stadium

Pitch Report

The pitch at Barsapara Cricket Stadium is known to favor bowlers, with historical data showing that the average first innings score is below 150 runs, making it a challenging surface for batsmen.

Stadium Statistics

Stadium Stats

Matches	6
Won Batting First	3
Won Batting Second	2
No Result	1
Average First Innings Score	146
Highest Total	199/4
Highest Successful Chase	152

Head-to-Head Record

RR vs CSK Rivalry

The rivalry between CSK and RR has been intense, with both teams having an equal record in their encounters:

Matches Played: 32
CSK Wins: 16
RR Wins: 16

Probable Lineups

Probable XIs

Rajasthan Royals (RR): 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
Chennai Super Kings (CSK): Sanju Samson (WK), Ruturaj Gaikwad (C), Ayush Mhatre, Sarfaraz Khan, Shivam Dube, Prashant Veer, Jamie Overton, Anshul Kamboj, Rahul Chahar, Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmed
Impact Player: Kartik Sharma

Squads Overview

Squad Details

RR Squad: Riyan Parag (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Ravi Bishnoi, Jofra Archer, Shimron Hetmyer, Donovan Ferreira, Tushar Deshpande, Kwena Maphaka, Adam Milne, Dasun Shanaka, Sandeep Sharma, Nandre Burger, Kuldeep Sen, Lhuan-Dre Pretorious, Shubham Dubey, Ravi Singh, Aman Rao Perala, Yudhvir Singh Charak, Sushant Mishra, Yash Raj Punia, Vignesh Puthur, Brijesh Sharma.
CSK Squad: Ruturaj Gaikwad (C), MS Dhoni, Sanju Samson, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Ayush Mhatre, Urvil Patel, Kartik Sharma, Prashant Veer, Noor Ahmad, Matt Henry, Jamie Overton, Akeal Hosein, Zak Foulkes, Khaleel Ahmed, Anshul Kamboj, Sarfaraz Khan, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Aman Khan, Mukesh Choudhary, Spencer Johnson, Gurjapneet Singh, Matthew Short, Shreyas Gopal, Rahul Chahar.