CSK vs RR meet in the 3rd match of IPL 2026. RR won the toss and opted to bowl hoping to utilize the powerplay to strike down as many CSK batsman as possible. They have pacers Jofra Archer and Nandre Burger, tailored to exploit early pace-friendly conditions. CSK on other hand although doesn’t have Dhoni playing for them but have a heavy top order batsman who can go explosive.

Sanju Samson, the newly added in the CSK team is in red hot form after his heroics in the concluded T20 World Cup, so he was expected to go all guns blazing with captain Ruturaj Gaikwad. Also youngster Ayush Mhatre has a good name to attack in powerplay.

But things overturned as RR made plans and took wickets of the Top 3 in powerplay with dominance. Jofra Archer and Nandre Burger, with their fire spell crafted an early collapse, restricting CSK in the Powerplay, posing a mammoth total.The fourth one Mathhew Short to falls to Sandeep Sharma making CSK’s total as to 41/4 in powerplay which is quite below par score.  

The overcast conditions seemed to have helped the pacers more in red soil pitch with extra pace and bounce.

Rajasthan Royals Fans seem to be elated with such bowling and CSK fans worried about the score as their death over batting too seems a bit off. Let’s see who now wins the middle over triumph?