IPL 2026: Chennai Super Kings Face Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati; MS Dhoni Ruled Out

Guwahati. Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals will face each other in the third match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. This match will be held at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati, Rajasthan's second home ground. The match will start at 7:45 PM Nepali time.

Former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni will not be seen in this match. According to information provided by Chennai, Dhoni will be out for the first two weeks of the IPL due to a hamstring strain. He is currently in rehab.

• Past Performance and Head-to-Head

Although Chennai is a five-time champion (2010, 2011, 2018, 2021, 2023), they finished at the bottom, in 10th place, in the points table last season. Similarly, although Rajasthan won the title once, they had to settle for 9th place last season.

The head-to-head record between the two teams is 50-50. Out of a total of 32 matches, both teams have won 16 matches each. In the only match held in Guwahati, Rajasthan won by 6 runs.

Team Updates and Player Changes

• Rajasthan: All-rounder Sam Curran is out of the tournament due to injury. Sri Lanka's T20 captain Dasun Shanaka has replaced him in the squad.
• Chennai: After Australian fast bowler Nathan Ellis was ruled out due to injury, Spencer Johnson has been included in his place.

Samson and Jadeja Against Old Teams

Sanju Samson and Ravindra Jadeja will be playing against their former teams this season. Samson, who led Rajasthan for a long time, will now be seen in a Chennai jersey, while Chennai's veteran Jadeja will take the field for Rajasthan this time.

Chennai's Strong Batting, Rajasthan's Youthful Energy

Chennai's middle order will be handled by Shivam Dube and Ayush Mhatre, and the arrival of Sanju Samson has further strengthened the team. In bowling, the roles of Noor Ahmad and Matt Henry will be crucial.

On the other hand, Rajasthan is expected to have Yashasvi Jaiswal and young player Vaibhav Suryavanshi opening. Although the team looks balanced with the arrival of Jadeja, the bowling unit led by Jofra Archer faces the challenge of maintaining its rhythm.

Pitch and Weather Report

The pitch at Barsapara Stadium is considered favorable for batting. There is a possibility of high scores here, and since dew is expected at night, the team winning the toss might benefit from fielding first.

Cloud cover and a 55-60% chance of rain are predicted in Guwahati on Monday.

Players in Focus: Ravindra Jadeja and Prashant Veer

The 37-year-old Jadeja has returned as a rockstar for Rajasthan. His bowling control and ability to hit sixes in the final overs will be crucial for Rajasthan. For Chennai, Prashant Veer could be a surprise package, whom the team sees as a six-hitter and a powerplay bowler.

Interesting Statistics

• This will be Chennai's first match without both MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina.
• Vaibhav Suryavanshi hit a six every 5 balls on average in IPL 2025.
• Jadeja is just 15 runs away from completing 4000 runs in T20s. If he achieves this feat, he will become the second Indian bowler after Hardik Pandya to score 4000 runs and take 200 wickets.
• Jofra Archer has dismissed Sanju Samson 3 times in 6 encounters in T20s.

Probable-12 for Both Teams

• Rajasthan Royals: Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag (Captain), Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (Wicketkeeper), Shimron Hetmyer, Donovan Ferreira, Dasun Shanaka, Ravi Bishnoi, Jofra Archer, Sandeep Sharma, Tushar Deshpande.
• Chennai Super Kings: Sanju Samson (Wicketkeeper), Ruturaj Gaikwad (Captain), Ayush Mhatre, Dewald Brevis, Prashant Veer, Sarfaraz Khan/Karthik Sharma, Shivam Dube, Akeal Hosein, Noor Ahmad, Matt Henry, Anshul Kamboj, Khaleel Ahmed.