Rajasthan Royals Opt to Bowl First Against Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2026 Opener
Match Overview
In the opening match of the IPL 2026 season, Rajasthan Royals (RR) won the toss and chose to bowl first against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at Barsapara Cricket Stadium on Monday.
RR's captain, Riyan Parag, cited the wet conditions due to recent rainfall as the reason for his decision to bowl first. He expressed his enthusiasm for leading the team and acknowledged the strong support from fans, stating that the Royals are determined to have a successful season. Parag remarked, "We are bowling first. There's been a lot of rain. There's going to be some moisture. It feels nice (to be captaining), the support has been incredible. Hopefully, a good campaign for us. The goal is to win the championship. We tried to have a lot of smart cricketers."
Significant Pre-Season Trade
Prior to the IPL auction, both Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings engaged in a notable trade, with RR sending Sanju Samson to CSK in exchange for players Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran.
A New Chapter for Royals and Super Kings
Under the new leadership of Riyan Parag, RR embarks on a fresh journey following the departure of long-time player Sanju Samson. With matches being held at his home ground, Parag aims to set a positive example as the Royals strive to improve upon their ninth-place finish from the previous season.
Meanwhile, CSK, who finished last in the 2025 season, are eager to start strong in their quest for a sixth IPL title under the captaincy of Ruturaj Gaikwad.
Team Lineups
The playing elevens for both teams are as follows:
Rajasthan Royals: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Riyan Parag (captain), Shimron Hetmyer, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger, Sandeep Sharma, Ravi Bishnoi, Brijesh Sharma. Impact Subs: Donovan Ferreira, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Ravi Singh, Sushant Mishra, Tushar Deshpande.
Chennai Super Kings: Sanju Samson, Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Ayush Mhatre, Matthew Short, Shivam Dube, Kartik Sharma (wk), Jamie Overton, Noor Ahmad, Matt Henry, Anshul Kamboj, Khaleel Ahmed. Impact Subs: Sarfaraz Khan, Prashanth Veer, Rahul Chahar, Gurjapneet Singh, Ramakrishna Ghosh.