Five-time champions Chennai Super Kings will be looking to turn their fortunes around after finishing at the bottom in the previous edition of the Indian Premier League. The Yellow Army begin their campaign against Rajasthan Royals as the IPL action shifts to the north-eastern city of Guwahati on Monday.

Blockbuster Trade Adds Extra Drama

In a major pre-auction move, both franchises swapped key players, with Sanju Samson joining CSK and Ravindra Jadeja moving to RR. This high-profile exchange has added further excitement to the contest. Another player to watch out for is Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.

RR vs CSK Pitch Report

The Barsapara Cricket Stadium pitch is expected to favour batters, as it is a red-soil surface that offers good bounce and a fast outfield. While pacers may get some early assistance, batting becomes easier once players settle in. Dew could play a significant role later in the game, which is why captains may opt to bowl first after winning the toss.

Weather Conditions in Guwahati

Weather conditions are likely to remain mostly cloudy, with a brief shower possible during the day. The evening is expected to be humid with continued cloud cover and chances of a couple of late showers.

Temperatures are predicted to range between 27°C and 19°C. However, the chances of rain during match hours are expected to drop to around 20%, increasing the likelihood of a full match without interruptions.

RR squads
Riyan Parag (c), Dhruv Jurel, Donovan Ferreira, Lhuan-Dre Pretorius, Ravi Singh, Aman Perala, Shimron Hetmyer, Shubham Dubey, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ravindra Jadeja, Dasun Shanaka, Adam Milne, Brijesh Sharma, Jofra Archer, Kuldeep Sen, Kwena Maphaka, Nandre Burger, Ravi Bishnoi and Sandeep Sharma.

CSK squads
Sanju Samson, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Ayush Mhatre, Matt Henry, Akeal Hosein, Noor Ahmad, Jamie Overton, Matthew Short, Khaleel Ahmed, Zak Foulkes, Anshul Khamboj, Nathan Ellis, Sarfaraz Khan, Rahul Chahar, Kartik Sharma, Urvil Patel, Aman Khan, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Prashant Veer, Shreyas Gopal, Spencer Johnson, Gurjapneet Singh and Mukesh Choudhary.