Riyan Parag and Ruturaj Gaikwad GUWAHATI: With Rajasthan Royals hosting several Indian Premier League matches in their adopted home of Guwahati in the past seasons, top-class cricket is nothing new in Assam’s capital city. But with another match scheduled at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium this year – amid the buzz of the April 9 state assembly elections – the excitement has gone up a few notches.As fans prepare for the Royals’ clash with the Super Kings on Monday, the only problem remains the weather. Intermittent drizzle over the past week and predictions of rain and thunderstorms on match day threaten to disrupt proceedings.
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Greenstone Lobo predicts IPL 2026 winner On the field, both teams are desperate for a reset after disappointing campaigns in IPL 2025. Chennai Super Kings finished bottom of the table for the first time in their history, while Rajasthan Royals finished just above them. Samson swapped pink for yellowThe biggest attraction will be Sanju Samson, who will come to Guwahati after a stellar T20 World Cup campaign with India. The Kerala wicketkeeper-batsman will now turn out for Chennai Super Kings against Rajasthan Royals – the franchise he represented and led for over a decade.India’s young Under-19 World Cup captain Ayush Mhatre adds firepower to the top order for CSK, while Shivam Dube will look to carry his World T20 form into the IPL and add muscle to the middle order. Matt Henry, Khaleel Ahmed and Noor Ahmad form the bowling core.Riyan Parag begins his first full season as Rajasthan Royals captain after briefly handling the leadership duties during Samson’s injury absence last year. The Assam all-rounder now bears the responsibility of leading a franchise in search of a new identity.Part of the Samson swap deal, Ravindra Jadeja will don the pink this season and spearhead the spin attack alongside Ravi Bishnoi while Jofra Archer leads the pace unit. With Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Shimron Hetmyer and Dhruv Jurel forming the core of the batting, Royals will be hoping for a more consistent performance.
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THE NUMBERS GAME6 – Rajasthan Royals have won six of their last seven matches against Chennai Super Kings between October 2021 and May 2025. Their only defeat was by five wickets at Chepauk on 12 May 2024.
