RR vs MI, IPL 2026: Rajasthan opt to bowl first against Chennai, know playing XIs here

Rajasthan Royals (RR) won the toss and opted to bowl first against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in their IPL 2026 campaign opener in Guwahati on March 30.

What did the captains say after the toss?

RR captain Riyan Parag, after winning the toss, said:

"We're bowling first. There's been a lot of rain here actually. So even though it is a red soil wicket, it's going to be a little moisture. So we want to try and extract that in the first few overs and then see how we go back into the game. (On leading RR) It feels nice. It feels very overwhelming. I've been with this franchise for eight years now. And then seeing the transition that has happened from me being a 17-year-old to being here as captain, I feel the support has been incredible. All my peers have been really supportive and very helping towards me. So hopefully a good campaign for us. I think the goal is to win the championship. With the trades and the auction, I think what we've tried to do is have a lot of smart cricketers, a lot of all-rounders and people who have different skills, so that when we get conditions like this or a flat wicket in Mumbai or a green top in Kolkata, we can adapt and play accordingly. So that's the plan. Our four overseas are Nandre, Jofra, Donovan and Shimron Hetmyer."

ALSO READ: 'MS Dhoni is still heavily....': Stephen Fleming gives massive injury update on MSD ahead of RR vs CSK IPL 2026 match

Meanwhile, CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad, after the toss, said:

"It was a no-brainer to bowl first. Nevertheless, we'd like to start positively. You saw how the last year went for us. We went to the auction with some strategy. Let's hope that they go really well. Our overseas players are Short, Overton, Noor and Matt Henry."

Chennai Super Kings (Playing XI):

Sanju Samson, Ruturaj Gaikwad(c), Ayush Mhatre, Matthew Short, Shivam Dube, Kartik Sharma(w), Jamie Overton, Noor Ahmad, Matt Henry, Anshul Kamboj, Khaleel Ahmed

Rajasthan Royals (Playing XI):

Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Riyan Parag(c), Dhruv Jurel(w), Shimron Hetmyer, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger, Sandeep Sharma, Ravi Bishnoi, Brijesh Sharma

ALSO READ: Harbhajan Singh questions Ajinkya Rahane's captaincy after KKR lost to MI, says 'That was their best chance...'

RR vs CSK Head-to-Head Record

CSK and RR share one of the most closely contested rivalries in IPL history, having faced each other 31 times. Out of those encounters, CSK hold the slightest edge with 16 wins, while RR breathe right down their neck with 15 wins.

Pitch Report

"It's been overcast. Dimensions - 61m and 70m square, 74 straight down the ground. Red soil pitch. Because of the weather, there'll be moisture on the surface. Expect extra pace and extra bounce. Very important for the players to assess the conditions," Deep Dasgupta and Daren Ganga analysed the pitch