Rajasthan Royals (RR) take on the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) today in what is effectively a reset derby at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium. After both teams struggled in 2025, this Match 3 of IPL 2026 is a chance for a fresh start under intriguing new leadership and squad dynamics. The headline of this clash is the high-profile trade that saw Sanju Samson move to CSK while Ravindra Jadeja returned to the Royals.
Now led by local hero Riyan Parag, the Royals boast a terrifying top order featuring Yashasvi Jaiswal and the young sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. With Jofra Archer back to lead the pace attack, they look structurally solid for Guwahati’s conditions.
Ruturaj Gaikwad leads a revamped side but faces an early hurdle—MS Dhoni is ruled out for the first two weeks with a calf strain. All eyes will be on Samson as he faces his former franchise for the first time in yellow.
Barsapara Cricket Stadium Pitch Report
The Barsapara surface is traditionally a belter—flat, hard, and high-scoring. Expect a fast outfield and short boundaries (~65–68m) to aid a high-scoring game. An average first-innings score is around 175–185. Pacers may find slight movement and carry in the first 3–4 overs due to light grass cover. Spinners might struggle to grip the ball later in the evening. Dew is expected to be a major factor from the 12th over of the second innings onwards. Captains winning the toss will almost certainly look to bowl first, as chasing becomes significantly easier when the ball gets wet.
Guwahati weather forecast
The evening weather in Guwahati for the clash between Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings is expected to be slightly on the cooler side at around 21°C, but conditions will remain quite humid with humidity levels touching 87% and a dew point of 20°C. Skies are likely to stay mostly cloudy with around 70% cloud cover, while a gentle easterly breeze at 7 km/h, gusting up to 19 km/h, could offer minimal relief. There is a 25% chance of precipitation, so rain interruptions seem unlikely but cannot be completely ruled out. Visibility may also be slightly reduced to 5 km, and with such high moisture in the air, dew could play a significant role later in the game, potentially influencing bowling conditions and favoring teams chasing under lights.
Also READ: RR vs CSK, IPL 2026, Match Prediction: Who will win today’s game between Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings?