RR vs CSK IPL 2026: Chennai Super Kings (CSK) mark the start of their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 campaign with a trip to Guwahati, facing Rajasthan Royals (RR). The two sides engaged in a major trade deal ahead of the season, with Sanju Samson being acquired by the five-time champions, in exchange of Sam Curran and Ravindra Jadeja. This adds another interesting dynamic to what has been a closely contested rivarly over the years in the tournament. Unfortunately, Chennai will miss the services of their veteran wicketkeeper-batsman, MS Dhoni, who has been sidelined due to calf strain.
RR vs CSK: Key Players To Watch Out For
Sanju Samson is certainly among the key players to watch out for in this clash. After having a stellar run in the business end of the ICC T20 World Cup, he is confirmed to be opening the innings with CSK skipper, Ruturaj Gaikwad.
Another batsman with a lot of spotlight on him is the young Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. The 15-year old made his IPL debut last season, and smashed a ton in just his second match.
He represent India’s youth squads in several competitions since then, smashing many records and hundreds, including the final of the ICC Under-19 World Cup, helping the Boys in Blue seal their sixth title. Needless to say, he will be itching to make an impact in the IPL once again.
Finally, Ravindra Jadeja, who has returned to RR after over a decade of representing CSK, will be another player to watch out. The veteran all-rounder has the potential to chip in significantly all departments.
RR vs CSK: IPL 2026 Full Squads
Chennai Super Kings – Sanju Samson (WK), Ayush Mhatre, Ruturaj Gaikwad (C), Urvil Patel, Matthew Short, Shivam Dube, Jamie Overton, Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmed, Matt Henry, Anshul Kamboj, Akeal Hosein, Sarfaraz Khan, MS Dhoni, Dewald Brevis, Shreyas Gopal, Rahul Chahar, Spencer Johnson, Mukesh Choudhary, Aman Khan, Gurjapneet Singh, Zakary Foulkes, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Kartik Sharma, Prashant Veer
Rajasthan Royals – Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Riyan Parag (C), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Shimron Hetmyer, Dasun Shanaka, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, Sandeep Sharma, Ravi Bishnoi, Adam Milne, Yudhvir Singh Charak, Tushar Deshpande, Shubham Dubey, Nandre Burger, Kuldeep Sen, Sushant Mishra, Donovan Ferreira, Kwena Maphaka, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Vignesh Puthur, Ravi Singh, Aman Rao Perala, Brijesh Sharma
