RR Vs CSK, IPL 2026: Sangakkara Discusses Parag Captaincy; Fleming Talks About Moving On With Times

Rajasthan Royals (RR) will face Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Match 3 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on Monday. It’s a clash between two sides who are going through a transitional phase, having finished near the bottom of the table last season and made significant squad changes before this year.

Before the RR vs CSK match, one of the biggest talking points is the homecoming of Sanju Samson and Ravindra Jadeja. The two long-serving players swapped teams at the start of IPL 2026 and will represent their new sides tonight.

Meanwhile, Riyan Parag has been handed the permanent captaincy of RR, with the batter starting his reign in his hometown today. There is also the return of Ruturaj Gaikwad at the helm for CSK, with the batter having recovered from a broken arm that kept him out last year.

The two sides’ head coaches – Kumar Sangakkara and Stephen Fleming – discussed these issues and more in the pre-match press conference. See who said what before the RR vs CSK game:

Fleming Discusses Parag Captaincy Gamble

One of the biggest gambles taken by RR was handing the captaincy to Riyan Parag. He had led the team in the first three matches of IPL 2025 as well, becoming the fourth-youngest captain in the league. Now, the Assam batter has been named the permanent captain for the Royals.

Discussing the decision, head coach Sangakkara explained that the management had selected five candidates for the role, including veterans like Ravindra Jadeja and Sandeep Sharma. However, Parag was chosen due to his vision and maturity.

“Riyan came across as the top candidate because in all his conversations, he seemed to have matured a lot,” he said. “He was very reflective in answering all the questions, and the questions were very tough, targeted questions. Some of those questions were quite uncomfortable for all of them.

“Riyan, with his maturity, what is (his) vision for the side; he wanted not just to captain but to lead the team. It made him the leading candidate.”

Sangakkara also discussed the elephant in the room: the departure of Samson, who has been a talismanic figure for the franchise. However, the RR head coach seemed content with the trade.

“The best trade is where both sides are happy but slightly unhappy, and that’s a great trade,” Sangakkara said. “To be very honest, we are extremely sad to see Sanju go, he has been incredible player for us – leader, captain – but we knew it was inevitable that (it) was going to happen.

“I think we got two very, very good players, one legend in Jaddu (Jadeja) and Sam (Curran), which balances out our squad.”

Fleming Talks About CSK’s Recalibration

In the opposing camp, Stephen Fleming discussed the changing nature of T20 cricket, and how CSK have planned to move from the veteran-heavy approach that has brought them a lot of success in the past.

“We were caught. We’ve had a lot of success with experienced players, and they’re experienced players that have been brought up playing longer form of the game, so (their) technique is very good, ability to work through situations,” he said.

“But the game now has almost gone away from that, and it’s really just about fours and sixes, which in some ways is a bit of a shame, but you have to move with the times,” Fleming added. “A balance between bat and ball was always ideal, but we’ve certainly moved into that space, and I'm really excited about some of the youth that we will put on show.”

Discussing the addition of Samson, Fleming called him a “world-class” batter, adding that this move has added “excitement and enthusiasm around the squad”. The CSK head coach also talked about the return of skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad.

“Gaikwad broke his arm here last time, so we didn’t have him for this season. It’s almost like getting a new player with him.”

Meanwhile, Fleming added some bad news for the CSK fans, confirming that South African batter Dewald Brevis will miss the game against Rajasthan Royals with a side strain.