IPL 2026 : In the third match of IPL 2026, Chennai Super Kings had a tough outing against Rajasthan Royals at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati. Playing without their veteran leader MS Dhoni due to injury, CSK looked unsettled from the start and failed to build momentum with the bat.
Top Order Fails to Deliver
CSK’s innings got off to a shaky start as Sanju Samson and Ruturaj Gaikwad opened the batting but couldn’t make an impact. Samson was dismissed early for just 6 runs by Nandre Burger, who struck again in the following over to remove Gaikwad for the same score.
The early blows didn’t stop there. Ayush Mhatre was sent back for a duck in the fourth over, and Matthew Short followed soon after, managing only 2 runs. Within the powerplay, CSK had already lost key wickets and were under serious pressure.
Middle Order Collapse Deepens Trouble
Sarfaraz Khan tried to stabilize the innings with a brief 17-run effort, but his dismissal triggered another collapse. Ravindra Jadeja made an immediate impact, picking up Sarfaraz and Shivam Dube (6 runs) in the same over.
At one stage, CSK were reeling at 51 for 5, and the situation worsened as wickets continued to fall. By the 10th over, the scoreboard read 71 for 6, leaving the team with very little room to recover.
Late Resistance from Overton
With the innings falling apart, Jimmy Overton provided some resistance in the lower order. His aggressive knock of 43 runs helped CSK reach a somewhat respectable total of 127 runs, which at one point looked unlikely.
Rajasthan Take Control
Rajasthan Royals’ bowlers maintained discipline throughout, capitalizing on CSK’s shaky batting line-up. Their early breakthroughs ensured they stayed ahead in the game from the beginning.
At the time of writing, Rajasthan had begun their chase, aiming to secure a comfortable win after restricting CSK to a modest total.