Impact of Dhoni’s absence in CSK’s playing-11?

10

RR vs CSK: Big clash of IPL 2026

Indian Premier League 2026 will see an exciting match today, in which Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings will face each other at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati. Both these teams, which finished at the bottom last season, have made significant changes in their players through auction and trading. Riyan Parag is now captaining Rajasthan Royals, while Rituraj Gaikwad, who returned from injury, has again taken charge of Chennai.

Chennai gets a shock due to Dhoni’s absence

The biggest shock for Chennai Super Kings fans is that Thala MS Dhoni will not be a part of this match. His calf injury will keep Dhoni out of the first two weeks of the tournament. This will be the first time in the history of IPL that Chennai team will play a match without Dhoni or Suresh Raina.

Samson’s role is important

Due to the absence of Dhoni, the role of **Sanju Samson** has become very important. Samson will take up the wicketkeeping duties against his former franchise and will open the innings with captain Ruturaj Gaikwad. This is an opportunity for Gaikwad to prove himself as an independent and capable captain as he tries to step out of Dhoni’s shadow.

Sunday Jadeja: Towards a historic moment

The main attraction of this match will be Ravindra Jadeja. Jadeja, who was the heartbeat of Chennai for a long time, is now showcasing his talent with Rajasthan Royals. 37-year-old Jadeja is very close to completing 4000 runs in **T-20 cricket**. By doing so, he will have the honor of becoming the second Indian cricketer after Hardik Pandya to complete the double of 4000 runs and 200 wickets. His spin bowling can prove to be an important tool for Rajasthan against right-handed batsmen.

effect of rain

The rain a day before the match in Guwahati has slightly changed the pitch condition, due to which the fast bowlers are expected to get early swing. Rajasthan has lethal bowlers like **Jofra Archer**, whose record against Sanju Samson has been excellent. On the other hand, all eyes will be on young all-rounder **Prashant Veer** from Chennai. This player from UP is known for his tight bowling in the powerplay and hitting sixes in the lower order.

RR vs CSK: Predicted Playing XI

Rajasthan Royals: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Riyan Parag (captain), Dhruv Jurel (wicketkeeper), Shimron Hetmyer, Ravindra Jadeja, Donovan Ferreira, Joffra Archer, Ravi Bishnoi, Tushar Deshpande, Sandeep Sharma.

Impact Sub: Nandre Berger/Adam Milne

Chennai Super Kings: Ruturaj Gaikwad (captain), Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Ayush Mhatre, Matt Short, Shivam Dubey, Karthik Sharma, Prashant Veer, Jamie Overton, Noor Ahmed, Matt Henry, Khaleel Ahmed.

Impact Sub: Anshul Kamboj/Gurjapneet Singh