The third match of the TATA IPL 2026 got off to a strategic start at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium (also known as ACA Stadium) in Guwahati, as Rajasthan Royals skipper Riyan Parag won the toss and chose to bowl first against Chennai Super Kings.
The decision to field first appears influenced by the expected dew factor in this evening encounter, which often makes chasing easier in Guwahati’s high-scoring venue. The pitch, a red-soil surface that spent time under covers due to earlier rain concerns, is likely to assist pacers initially before favouring batters, with historical T20 averages exceeding 170-180 runs.
This matchup carries significant subplots. Sanju Samson, who recently moved from Rajasthan Royals to Chennai Super Kings in a pre-season trade, will don the yellow jersey as wicketkeeper and is set to open the batting alongside captain Ruturaj Gaikwad. Meanwhile, Ravindra Jadeja has returned to the Royals, adding all-round balance to their side.
Riyan Parag, captaining RR full-time for the first time in front of a home crowd in Guwahati (his native region), will look to leverage a pace-heavy attack featuring Jofra Archer and Nandre Burger. CSK, missing **MS Dhoni** due to a calf injury for at least the initial weeks, will rely on their revamped top order and experienced core.
Historically, CSK holds a narrow 16-15 edge over RR in 31 T20 meetings, though Rajasthan have dominated recent encounters, winning five of the last six. Both teams finished lower than expected in 2025 and will be eager to kickstart their 2026 campaigns with a strong result.
The match, scheduled to begin at 7:30 PM IST, promises fireworks with young talents like Vaibhav Suryavanshi for RR and the power-hitting of Shivam Dube for CSK. Fans can catch live action on JioHotstar and Star Sports networks.
As the IPL 2026 season unfolds, this early contest could set the momentum for both franchises aiming to reclaim past glory.
RR Playing XI: V. Sooryavanshi, Y. Jaiswal, R. Parag (c), D. Jurel (wk), S. Hetmyer, R. Jadeja, J. Archer, N. Burger, S. Sharma, R. Bishnoi, B. Sharma.
CSK Playing XI: R. Gaikwad (c), S. Samson (wk), A. Mhatre, M. Short, S. Dube, K. Sharma, J. Overton, N. Ahmad, M. Henry, A. Kamboj, K. Ahmed.
