CSK win toss, opt to bowl. Ambati Rayudu to miss the match as Ruturaj Gaikwad would make his debut. Dhoni at the toss said that it is because of the dew that comes in, later on, batting becomes easier as the ball comes on to the bat and hence he opted to field. Rajathan Royals captain Steve Smith has been cleared of concussion. Smith had missed out three ODIs against England in the UK due to concussion related issues, and there were doubts whether he will be fit to feature in Royals’ first game of the season

Rajasthan Royals (Playing XI): Yashasvi Jaiswal, Robin Uthappa, Sanju Samson(w), Steven Smith(c), David Miller, Riyan Parag, Shreyas Gopal, Tom Curran, Rahul Tewatia, Jofra Archer, Jaydev Unadkat

Chennai Super Kings (Playing XI): Murali Vijay, Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, Ruturaj Gaikwad, MS Dhoni(w/c), Kedar Jadhav, Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran, Deepak Chahar, Piyush Chawla, Lungi Ngidi