The finalists of the first season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK), will face off at Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on Monday, March 30.
Both teams participated in a major trade recently, with Sanju Samson moving to CSK after 11 seasons at RR. Meanwhile, Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran joined Rajasthan. Last season was tough for both teams, as RR finished ninth and CSK ended up at the bottom of the table.
CSK will be without their star wicketkeeper-batter MS Dhoni for the first two weeks due to a calf strain. However, captain Ruturaj Gaikwad is back after missing most of last season due to injury.
RR is entering a new phase with Riyan Parag appointed as the full-time captain. Having been with the team for a while, he has led in several games before and aims to guide his team against a strong CSK lineup.
Barsapara Cricket Stadium: Pitch Report
Barsapara Cricket Stadium is known for high-scoring matches, with generally flat pitches that offer little movement or turn. Bowlers will need to be precise to succeed here. The average runs per over in the IPL at this venue is 8.56.
IPL Stats and Records at Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati
| Matches Played |
6 |
| Matches Won Batting First | 3 |
| Matches Won Batting Second | 2 |
| Matches With No Result | 1 |
| Matches Tied | – |
| Average First Innings Score | 146 |
| Highest Team Total | 199/4 |
| Highest Total Successfully Chased |
152 |
RR vs CSK: Strategies and Match-ups
Both Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings have solid batting lineups, but their bowling attacks may not be as strong, at least on paper. Jofra Archer will lead RR’s bowling, while Noor Ahmad is a key bowler for CSK.
The head-to-head record shows a close contest at 16-15 in favor of CSK. However, past performances will matter little when these two teams meet on Monday.