Guwahati weather is in focus as Rajasthan Royals host Chennai Super Kings in their first match of IPL 2026 at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati, on Monday, March 30. Eyes will be glued to the screens when these two sides collide with loyalty changes in the franchises. RR's captain, Sanju Samson, has moved to the Super Kings in a trade with CSK, giving Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran for the wicketkeeper batter. These are all signs of a possible move on from talisman MS Dhoni, who is in twilight on his career and might not be having much legs in his journey in the IPL now. The Royals are under new captain Riyan Parag, while Ruturaj Gaikwad returns to lead after missing half of the previous season due to injury. The weather in Guwahati isn't very promising with rain in the air. Leading into this game, the heavens' gates opened up as it drizzled at the Barsapara. There are high chances of precipitation during the match, which might force this one to be a shortened game or a wash-out.
Coming to the combinations, CSK will have to cope without their talisman, MS Dhoni, who is set to miss the first two weeks of the IPL 2026 season. The veteran wicketkeeper-batter, a cornerstone of CSK’s success and leadership, remains sidelined due to a calf injury, for which he is undergoing rehabilitation. It remains interesting to see how much CSK will miss him, as they have youth personnel who can do the job. Dhoni's impact is limited for a few balls with the bat now, and the Super Kings have strong options in Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma. The spotlight will now be on the remaining core to step up and maintain the franchise’s high standards in a challenging start to the campaign.
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