2026 sees two teams that finished last in 2025 return with new looks: Sanju Samson and Ravindra Jadeja have switched sides, and Riyan Parag has taken control for Rajasthan.
RR bowlers easily defeated CSK for just 127 in the Chennai Super Kings Vs Rajasthan Royals Match Scorecard, with Munaf Patel (2/34) and Sohail Tanvir (6/14) leading their team.
| Date | Winner | CSK Score | RR Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 Mar 2026 | RR | 127/10 (19.4) | 128/2 (12.1) | RR won by 8 wickets |
| 20 May 2025 | RR | 187/8 (20) | 188/4 (17.1) | RR won by 6 wickets |
| 30 Mar 2025 | RR | 176/6 (20) | 182/9 (20) | RR won by 6 runs |
| 12 May 2024 | CSK | 145/5 (18.2) | 141/5 (20) | CSK won by 5 wickets |
| 27 Apr 2023 | RR | 170/6 (20) | 202/5 (20) | RR won by 32 runs |
CSK vs RR: Match Prediction
Chennai Super Kings will launch their IPL 2026 campaign against Rajasthan Royals at Baraspara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on Monday night.
Rajasthan finished ninth last edition, so new captain Riyan Parag will look to make an impressionful debut against CSK this time. He briefly led their side last season due to Sanju Samson being unavailable; hopefully he can assume permanent control this season.
RR won the toss and elected to bowl on a pitch that had spent much time under cover prior to and on match day, both for practice and this matchup. Their strategy paid dividends with Jofra Archer and Nandre Burger decimating CSK’s top order with two wickets each while Ravindra Jadeja also contributed a double strike within his first over.
Ayush Mhatre and Urvil Patel provided solid starts to their innings. Youngsters Shivam Dube and Kartik Sharma will look to make an impression while Sri Lankan all-rounder Dasun Shanaka added depth. Shane Watson made a strong showing too but must maintain this form to guide RR to an incredible season.
CSK are yet to experience life without MS Dhoni after his injury forced his absence, yet are looking a solid unit with players like Dewald Brevis and Matt Henry performing strongly for them. CSK will look to put behind them their troublesome final few months of last season by starting this campaign off well and becoming champions once more.
CSK are confident of repeating their winning performance against Rajasthan Royals at home in their opening match, winning by eight wickets at home.
But Rajasthan have enough talent in their batting lineup with Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shimron Hetmyer being capable of turning matches in their favor; on bowling front they boast Ravi Bishnoi who excels at reading pitches to limit how much spin there is available for him to utilize.
CSK vs RR: Scorecard
At the inaugural Indian Premier League final, Rajasthan Royals defeated Chennai Super Kings (CSK). This marked an unforgettable moment in IPL history: for it marked the first time ever that an unexpected team defeated CSK to claim victory and launch an extraordinary journey toward greatness. No one expected them to reach such heights.
CSK have the distinct edge at home, where they remain undefeated at MA Chidambaram Stadium since 2020 and unbeaten there in their nine matches since 2020. Royals have come out strong recently at Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur by winning two out of three matches there since 2020.
The Royals kicked off their season on a high note by dominating CSK in their opener and will look to follow it up with another close victory against them here. New captain Riyan Parag won the toss and elected to field, leading his bowlers in an efficient performance that saw CSK all out after 20 overs for only 127 all out – an excellent result for his side!
Jofra Archer and Nandre Burger used test match length bowling to decimate CSK’s top order while Ravindra Jadeja provided vital middle order support. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s 15-ball half century proved decisive as RR easily cruised to victory with over four overs remaining.
RR have strengthened their team through key signings like Jofra Archer and Nandre Bruwer, yet their inability to convert big scores has come at a cost.
Their young top order players haven’t managed to put up competitive totals against quality opposition; and this match against CSK needs a solid performance to get back into contention at the top of the table – their lower order batsmen will need to keep run rates under control in order for this attempt at victory to succeed.
CSK vs RR: Live Streaming
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After making headlines with their trade deals, both teams are eager to make a positive start this season. The hosts have the added incentive of welcoming back Ravindra Jadeja after his controversial exit from CSK last season.
Guwahati pitch proved more difficult for CSK’s batters than anticipated, giving RR an opportunity to win the toss and put together an aggressive bowling display – especially by Jofra Archer and Nandre Burger who bowled at test-match length to dismantle CSK top order.
After some early batting woes, RR’s middle order rallied to post a respectable total of 127 runs on an ideal track for CSK bowlers – only for their innings to falter spectacularly and collapse spectacularly in quick time.
Ayush Mhatre was unable to handle Henry’s head-high bouncer and was caught at short midwicket for an innocuous golden duck, while debutant Matthew Short played an equally innocuous run-out ball to midwicket for an unlikely runout.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi set the pace with powerful hitting as the Royals opened up their chase with power hitting from both openers, before 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi turned it into a one-man show with his stunning 15-ball half century off 15 balls despite dropping first ball from Matt Henry for one of his five sixes.
CSK vs RR: Live Scorecard
CSK faced the familiar task of getting their batsmen going on an uneven Guwahati pitch early in the match. Riyan Parag won the toss and used disciplined bowling led by Jofra Archer and Nandre Burger to take control of proceedings quickly – their Test match length bowling proved devastating for CSK’s top order.
Burger nailed Ayush Mhatre at sweeper cover in his first over, while Archer then had Matthew Short chip a slower ball back towards midwicket and score an easy midwicket run-out for Matthew Short to chip a slower ball towards midwicket in the next. At that point, however, CSK had suffered irreparable damage, slumping quickly down to 57 for 6 by the sixth over.
CSK seemed doomed after only scoring 41 runs during their powerplay innings – an impossible target loomed over them; yet Sooryavanshi turned this chase into an unforgettable one-man show by scoring an astonishing 15-ball half century!
Sooryavanshi came close to being dismissed without scoring his 50th IPL six when Kartik Sharma accidentally spilled Matt Henry’s delivery at midwicket and lost it, but quickly rebounded with five sixes, including an opening shot over wide long-on.
