Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings
🔄 The Blockbuster Trade — Jadeja ↔ Samson
Ravindra Jadeja → Rajasthan Royals | After 11+ seasons in yellow, India’s best left-arm spinning all-rounder joins the Pink City. Jadeja at RR gives them something they have never had — a genuine match-winner with both bat and ball in the middle overs.
Sanju Samson → Chennai Super Kings | RR’s captain for years, Samson now wears yellow for the first time. With MS Dhoni injured, he is expected to keep wickets and open the batting with Ruturaj Gaikwad on IPL debut for CSK. The emotional weight of his return to face his old franchise will be enormous.
Sam Curran → Rajasthan Royals | Also part of the exchange — the English all-rounder adds further batting depth and pace flexibility to RR’s squad.
M1 (March 28): RCB beat SRH by 6 wickets — SRH 201/9 (Ishan Kishan 80/38, Aniket Verma 43/18), RCB 203/4 in 15.4 overs. Jacob Duffy 3/22 (POTM), Devdutt Padikkal 61/26 (Impact sub), Virat Kohli 69*. RCB broke the record for the fastest 200+ chase in IPL history.
M2 (March 29): MI vs KKR at Wankhede — result to confirm. IPL 2026 is now 2 matches old as these two iconic teams play Match 3 in Guwahati.
1. Jadeja faces CSK — After spending over a decade in yellow winning 4 IPL titles, “Jaddu” now walks out against his former family. The TBS Oval in Guwahati will give him a hero’s welcome from RR fans. For CSK, he’s the man they know best — and fear most.
2. Samson faces RR — Sanju Samson captained RR for years and gave everything to the franchise. Now in yellow for the first time, he faces the team that defined his IPL career. Two men, two homecomings, one extraordinary evening.
3. Riyan Parag — hero in his hometown — Guwahati is Parag’s home. The Barsapara Stadium crowd will roar for their local boy, now captain of the Rajasthan Royals. Playing at home, with Jadeja alongside him, Parag carries the emotional weight of leading a city’s pride.
4. MS Dhoni absent — For the first time in living memory, CSK play an IPL game without Dhoni’s presence being certain. He is out for two weeks with a calf injury. His ghost looms over CSK’s campaign — can Gaikwad lead them without the legend?
🏰 Rajasthan Royals — Probable XI
Captain: Riyan Parag
1. Yashasvi Jaiswal
2. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
3. Riyan Parag (c)
4. Dhruv Jurel (wk)
5. Shimron Hetmyer
6. Ravindra Jadeja
7. Donnovan Ferreira / Dasun Shanaka
8. Jofra Archer
9. Ravi Bishnoi
10. Tushar Deshpande
11. Sandeep Sharma
Impact Player: Nandre Burger / Adam Milne
💛 Chennai Super Kings — Probable XI
Captain: Ruturaj Gaikwad
1. Ruturaj Gaikwad (c)
2. Sanju Samson (wk) — CSK debut!
3. Ayush Mhatre
4. Matt Short
5. Shivam Dube
6. Kartik Sharma
7. Prashant Veer
8. Jamie Overton
9. Noor Ahmad
10. Matt Henry
11. Khaleel Ahmed
OUT: MS Dhoni (calf, 2 weeks), Dewald Brevis (injury)
Overall: CSK lead by the narrowest possible margin (16-15) over the full 18-year history. But recent form belongs entirely to Rajasthan — RR have won 8 of the last 9 meetings, including both encounters in IPL 2023 even when CSK won the title. CSK’s last win vs RR was in IPL 2024. This psychological edge is significant.
This fixture holds legendary status as the final of the inaugural IPL in 2008 — the match that started it all. RR won that final against CSK and claimed their first and only title. 18 years later, both teams rebuild after finishing bottom two in 2025.
⛅ Weather alert: Rain chances in Guwahati on match day — morning and night. Evening conditions likely mostly cloudy but playable. Temperature 22-24°C. Dew is a major factor in the second innings under lights — this tilts the toss outcome significantly. Teams winning the toss will likely opt to bowl first.
Rajasthan Royals are the favourites and not just because of their 8/9 recent head-to-head record. The arrival of Ravindra Jadeja transforms RR from a team missing a middle-order all-rounder into one with genuine balance. Jadeja in Guwahati — where the pitch turns in the middle overs — is lethal. Yashasvi Jaiswal (one of the IPL’s best openers) partners with 14-year-old sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (250+ runs last season at SR ~200, century at age 13 — second fastest in IPL history). Jofra Archer with the new ball, if fit, is the game’s most exciting pace weapon. Ravi Bishnoi’s wrist spin in the middle overs on a turning Guwahati pitch is the perfect complement to Jadeja.
Chennai Super Kings enter with major injury concerns. MS Dhoni (calf, two weeks) and Dewald Brevis (injury) are both unavailable. This places enormous responsibility on Ruturaj Gaikwad, returning after missing most of 2025 with injury, to lead CSK’s batting revival. Sanju Samson’s CSK debut as WK-opener is the most anticipated individual performance of the match — emotionally charged, tactically crucial. Noor Ahmad (Afghanistan’s mystery left-arm chinaman) is CSK’s bowling X-factor — 43 wickets across 2024-25 IPL seasons. Matt Henry with the new ball provides genuine seam quality.
⭐ Suggested XI
- Dhruv JurelWKRR
- Sanju SamsonWKCCSK
- Yashasvi JaiswalRR
- Vaibhav SooryavanshiRR
- Ruturaj GaikwadVCCSK
- Shivam DubeCSK
- Ravindra JadejaRR
- Riyan ParagRR
- Jofra ArcherRR
- Noor AhmadCSK
- Ravi BishnoiRR
📋 Breakdown
- Wicket-keepers2 — Jurel + Samson
- Batters2
- All-rounders3
- Bowlers4
- Rajasthan Royals7 players
- Chennai Super Kings4 players
Why Samson as captain? His CSK debut is the most emotionally charged individual storyline of this match — and IPL debut emotions often translate to extraordinary performances. As WK-opener, he touches the ball every single delivery. Whether he bats for 15 overs or gets out early, his WK bonuses + likely big batting intent give him the highest fantasy ceiling in this fixture. Players in “narrative moments” at the start of new chapters historically deliver.
Why Gaikwad as VC? Captaining without Dhoni for the first time, returning from injury, facing his best form’s challenge. The responsibility will sharpen rather than freeze Gaikwad. As CSK’s opener and captain on a Guwahati pitch that suits classical batting once it settles, he has the game for long innings. Fantasy pick of calm composure.
Why Sooryavanshi as differential? The 14-year-old sensation who scored 250+ runs last season at a SR of ~200 and hit the second-fastest century in IPL history (at age 13!) is the most explosive opener since Brendon McCullum in 2008. Most fantasy users will pick the established Jaiswal — but Sooryavanshi at a likely lower price point with a ceiling of 30-40 balls of absolute carnage is the best differential in this match. Guwahati is also his backyard.
⚠️ Rain warning: Check weather before submitting your team. If rain reduces the match to 10-15 overs, openers and first-over bowlers become disproportionately valuable. Archer, Jadeja (if bowling in a 10-over match), Jaiswal, and Samson would all see their fantasy ceiling rise in a reduced match.
📺 Broadcast: Star Sports 1/2/3/HD (India) | JioHotstar (streaming) | Willow TV (USA) | Sky Sports (UK) | Fox Sports (AUS). Toss: 7:00 PM IST. Match: 7:30 PM IST.
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