After a rollicking start to the TATA IPL 2026 in the first game between RCB and SRH, the focus now shifts to the third match between the men in pink vs the men in yellow. While CSK will be captained by Ruturaj Gaikwad, who missed out last season due to injury concerns, will be keen to turn the tide this time with his squad, which has a fair amount of youth and experience.
Men in pink on the other hand, will be under the captaincy of full-time captain Riyan Parag, who will be assisted by Ravindra Jadeja. The trade of 2 all-rounders Sam Curran and Ravindra Jadeja in lue of Sanju Samson can be a blessing in disguise for both teams, although Sam Curran has pulled out due to injury concerns which can affect the balance of the side, due to his all-round capabilities. In this article, we’ll focus on 3 players to watch out for, from both sides:
The Home-Coming of Chetta
Sanju Samson (Chetta) who was a part of RR last year was traded to CSK this year and will have a huge role to play in the absence of the veteran MS Dhoni, who misses out on a few games due to calf injury. With over 4700 runs in the IPL, Samson’s aggression with composure at the top would certainly boost CSK’s chances in this season.
Samson will be most likely to open the innings with captain Ruturaj Giakwad, as confirmed by the captain himself.
Read More : CSK Probable Playing 11 in absence of MS Dhoni
The Might of Shivam Dube
Be it coming into the middle overs and controlling the damage or slogging at the death, Dube hardly misses out on his responsibilities. His ability to take down spinners in the middle overs, puts pressure onto the opposition camp.
He thrives under pressure during the batting, also, he can provide valuable overs with his bowling whenever his captain needs him to do so.
Rockstar of RR
After 17 years of serving at CSK, Jadeja has once again joined the RR camp, where his IPL journey had begun. He was named “Rockstar” by Shane Warne back in 2008, when RR became champions in the opening season.
Jadeja’s tight bowling and fielding, accompanied by good finishing abilities can prove to be an asset for the young RR side.
