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Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will play match 3 of the IPL 2026 at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati, on Monday, March 30, as they look forward to compensating for the poor performance of the last season.
The Royals finished ninth in the points table with just four wins last season. They also lost Sanju Samson in a trade window and will be kicking off a new era under captain Riyan Parag. Ravindra Jadeja has been a good addition in terms of overall experience, and the other crucial signing was Sam Curran, who was disqualified due to an injury. Competing on the domestic ground, RR will aim at making a good debut and gaining early momentum in the tournament.
The other team with a terrible IPL 2025 was the Chennai Super Kings, which ranked at the bottom of the table. They will be without MS Dhoni, who is the five-time champion, and the wicket-keeping positions will be taken over by either Sanju Samson or Kartik Sharma. CSK, with new management led by Ruturaj Gaikwad, will be keen on transforming its fortunes and beginning its new campaign on a positive note.
RR vs CSK: Head-to-Head Record
| Matches Played | 31 |
| Won by CSK | 16 |
| Won by RR | 15 |
| Tie/NR | 0 |
| First-ever fixture | 5 May 2008 (RR won) |
| Last fixture | 20 May 2025 (RR won) |
In the past, the competition between RR and CSK was a close rivalry. Over the years, the two teams have been evenly matched, as CSK have so far won 16 matches each in 31 meetings.
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RR vs CSK: Predicted Playing XIs
Rajasthan Royals (RR): Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Riyan Parag (c), Shimron Hetmyer, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Dasun Shanaka, Jofra Archer, Sandeep Sharma, Ravi Bishnoi, Adam Milne.
Impact Player: Shubham Dubey.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK): 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.
Let us have a look at the top three players who could emerge as the top scorer in the RR vs CSK match:
1. Ruturaj Gaikwad
Ruturaj Gaikwad is capable of making a significant contribution to CSK during this game. The skipper missed the majority of the games last season after sustaining an injury but has since returned with a good performance with high chances in domestic cricket. It is also true that the right-hander is reputed to be always consistent at the top, and therefore, he will be eager to apply the same to IPL 2026 and take the initiative.
2. Sanju Samson
Sanju Samson can become the major contributor of CSK in this game, more so with the added burden behind the stumps and the bat. The previous captain of RR has already shown good form in the 2025 season by performing wisely in his first game against Sunrisers Hyderabad, with a brilliant performance of 66 in spite of missing half of the season because of a finger injury. His ability to set the innings straight and also being a quick player when it matters the most manages to make him a crucial addition to the CSK team.
3. Yashasvi Jaiswal
Rajasthan Royals opener recorded a total of 559 runs in 14 matches last season, with a tremendous strike rate of 159.71. He was also retained at INR 18 crore and was the highest run-scorer on the team, thus making him also come out as a consistent and explosive batsman at the top of the order. The lefty is a blend of prestige and savagery and is therefore potentially quite dangerous in the power play.
Let us have a look at the top three players who could emerge as the top wicket-taker in the RR vs CSK match:
1. Ravindra Jadeja
Ravindra Jadeja could prove to be an indispensable ball player in this match. The left-arm spinner who has just moved out of CSK is also an experienced one with a good sense of the batting team of the opponent. As a firm entrenched in the RR system, Jadeja will also attempt to take advantage of his mastery of the game, his deviations and his understanding of the game. He can generate a turn despite having controlled lines, and this makes him one of the most qualified people to generate the much-desired breakthrough.
2. Jofra Archer
Last year, Jofra Archer had a bad start, including an expensive 0/76 to SRH, but he has since come out hard as he has recovered later in the season. Archer can be a deadly weapon with the natural swing and velocity of the pitch in Barsapara, Guwahati. The wicket here is, by far, likely to be a batting-friendly and evenly-bounced wicket so that the fast bowlers who land on the deck with much violence earn an added force and become problematic to the batters sooner.
3. Khaleel Ahmed
Khaleel Ahmed can potentially contribute significantly to the bowling of CSK against the Rajasthan Royals, especially with the new ball. The left-arm pacer is also known to swing the ball too early to generate odd angles on the right-handers and thus is unusually effective against the top order of RR. Khaleel has been doing it quite frequently since his 71 games in the IPL. He has taken 89 wickets with the ability to deliver the breakthrough in the powerplay.
