

Match Prediction
Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings open their IPL 2026 campaigns in Guwahati. Both teams finished at the bottom in IPL 2025 and have undergone major changes. Sanju Samson and Ravindra Jadeja have swapped teams, with Riyan Parag leading RR and Ruturaj Gaikwad resuming CSK captaincy. MS Dhoni and Dewald Brevis are unavailable for CSK’s opener due to injuries.
Toss & Conditions
A fresh surface will be used for the match in Guwahati. The pitch was under covers before the game, suggesting some moisture that could aid bowlers early before settling for batting later.
Head-to-Head
Rajasthan Royals have won two of the last three matches against Chennai Super Kings.
Rajasthan Royals
This is Rajasthan Royals’ first match of the season. They won one of their last three matches in the previous tournament.
Chennai Super Kings
This is Chennai Super Kings’ first match of the season. They won two of their last three matches in the previous tournament.
Playing XI
News & Facts
- MS Dhoni is likely to miss the first two weeks of IPL 2026 due to a calf strain.
- Dewald Brevis will miss CSK’s opening match with a side strain.
- Nathan Ellis has been ruled out of the entire season for CSK with a hamstring injury.
- Ravindra Jadeja is 15 runs away from 4000 in T20s and could become the second Indian after Hardik Pandya to achieve 4000 runs and 200 wickets.
- RR captain Riyan Parag leads a side featuring new additions Jadeja and Ravi Bishnoi after a squad revamp.
Key Stats
Verdict
All models slightly favor Rajasthan Royals, with predictions ranging from 51% to 57% in their favor. The bookmaker odds of 1.67 for RR and 2.19 for CSK align with model expectations. Elo ratings show near parity, with RR at 1475.9 and CSK at 1474.8. RR’s recent head-to-head advantage and greater lineup experience are key differentiators.
CSChennai Super Kings
187/8
RRRajasthan Royals
188/4
RRRajasthan Royals
209/7
PBPunjab Kings
219/5
KKKolkata Knight Riders
206/4
RRRajasthan Royals
205/8
RRRajasthan Royals
117/10
MIMumbai Indians
217/2
RRRajasthan Royals
212/2
GTGujarat Titans
209/4
RCRoyal Challengers Bengaluru
205/5
RRRajasthan Royals
194/9
RRRajasthan Royals
178/5
LSLucknow Super Giants
180/5
DCDelhi Capitals
188/5
RRRajasthan Royals
188/4
RRRajasthan Royals
173/4
RCRoyal Challengers Bengaluru
175/1
GTGujarat Titans
217/6
RRRajasthan Royals
159/10
RR8
CS2
CSChennai Super Kings
187/8
RRRajasthan Royals
188/4
RRRajasthan Royals
182/9
CSChennai Super Kings
176/6
CSChennai Super Kings
145/5
RRRajasthan Royals
141/5
RRRajasthan Royals
202/5
CSChennai Super Kings
170/6
CSChennai Super Kings
172/6
RRRajasthan Royals
175/8
RRRajasthan Royals
151/5
CSChennai Super Kings
150/6
RRRajasthan Royals
190/3
CSChennai Super Kings
189/4
CSChennai Super Kings
188/9
RRRajasthan Royals
143/9
CSChennai Super Kings
125/5
RRRajasthan Royals
126/3
RRRajasthan Royals
216/7
CSChennai Super Kings
200/6
GTGujarat Titans
147/10
CSChennai Super Kings
230/5
CSChennai Super Kings
187/8
RRRajasthan Royals
188/4
KKKolkata Knight Riders
179/6
CSChennai Super Kings
183/8
RCRoyal Challengers Bengaluru
213/5
CSChennai Super Kings
211/5
CSChennai Super Kings
190/10
PBPunjab Kings
194/6
CSChennai Super Kings
154/10
SRSunrisers Hyderabad
155/5
MIMumbai Indians
177/1
CSChennai Super Kings
176/5
LSLucknow Super Giants
166/7
CSChennai Super Kings
168/5
CSChennai Super Kings
103/9
KKKolkata Knight Riders
107/2
PBPunjab Kings
219/6
CSChennai Super Kings
201/5
