Key Points
CSK opts to bowl after winning toss in Guwahati
Overton, Shankar make their debut for CSK
Rajasthan Royals seek first IPL 2025 win
Gaikwad emphasizes readiness amid quick match turnaround
In less than 48 hours, after Royal Challengers Bengaluru breached their fortress in Chepauk for the first time since 2008, CSK is back in action for their assignment in Guwahati. Considering the conditions that Barsapara Cricket Stadium offered in the previous fixture, the Super Kings spinners are likely to enjoy a bit more success than they did against RCB.
On the other hand, the Royals are still in hunt for their first win of the season. Rajasthan lost its opener against hard-hitting Sunrisers Hyderabad and returned to their home in Assam only to lose against the defending champions, Kolkata Knight Riders.
After winning the toss, CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad said, "Looks a good wicket, better than the last game that was played here, so we'll look to chase. So far, so good; it was a quick turnaround, very little time for us, but that's how the IPL is. We have to be ready. We have come here for the first time as a franchise; it's good to see all the love we've got. Two changes: Overton is in for Curran, and Vijay Shankar is in as well."
Rajasthan Royals' stand-in skipper Riyan Parag said during the time of the toss, "Would've done the same as well. My hometown, been brought up here and played a lot of cricket here. It is a surreal feeling to play in front of all these people. We've done well in small bits, it's about coming together and putting up a collective performance. Same team for us."
Chennai Super Kings (Playing XI): Rachin Ravindra, Rahul Tripathi, Ruturaj Gaikwad(c), Vijay Shankar, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni(w), Ravichandran Ashwin, Jamie Overton, Noor Ahmad, Matheesha Pathirana
Rajasthan Royals (Playing XI): Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson, Nitish Rana, Riyan Parag(c), Dhruv Jurel(w), Shimron Hetmyer, Wanindu Hasaranga, Jofra Archer, Maheesh Theekshana, Sandeep Sharma, Tushar Deshpande.
