Rajasthan Royals (RR) Start your IPL 2026 campaign with a new leadership group and a schedule full of interesting stories. For the first time, Riyan Parag He will lead the team after the franchise made a bold call to trade long-serving captain Sanju Samson to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in exchange for Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran. The season opener for RR on March 30 immediately attracts attention, as Parag begins his captaincy journey against his predecessor, adding an emotional and competitive edge to the contest.
A unique aspect of RR’s campaign this season is their split home schedule. The team will start by playing three home matches facing CSK at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati. Mumbai Indians (MI) on 7 April and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on 10 April. These early matches give RR a chance to build momentum in front of the enthusiastic North-East crowd. After this phase, they will move back to their traditional base at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur, where they will host key fixtures against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Delhi Capitals (DC), Gujarat Titans (GT) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).
However, the journey will not be entirely easy. After their initial home performance, RR will face challenging matches in mid-April. They will go to Hyderabad on 13th April, after which they will have a tough fight in Kolkata. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) On 19th April and on 22nd April in Lucknow. This phase will test the team’s resilience, especially as they adjust to different conditions and locations before returning to Jaipur. Adding to the challenge, RR will play two afternoon matches – against KKR on April 19 and MI on May 24 – both starting at 3:30 PM IST. Dealing with the heat and pitch variations will be important in these games.
At the start of the season, RR have a balanced squad that includes emerging talents like Yashasvi Jaiswal as well as experienced match-winners like Jadeja, Curran, Jofra Archer and Shimron Hetmyer. With a new captain and a favorable conclusion to their schedule, the Royals will aim to convert potential into performances in IPL 2026.
Also read: SWOT Analysis of Rajasthan Royals – RR’s Report Card before IPL 2026
rr full ipl 2026 schedule
- March 30 – Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings – Guwahati – 7:30 PM IST
- April 4 – Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals – Ahmedabad – 7:30 PM IST
- April 7 – Rajasthan Royals vs Mumbai Indians – Guwahati – 7:30 PM IST
- April 10 – Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bangalore – Guwahati – 7:30 PM IST
- April 13 – Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Rajasthan Royals – Hyderabad – 7:30 PM IST
- April 19 – Kolkata Knight Riders vs Rajasthan Royals – Kolkata – 3:30 PM IST
- April 22 – Lucknow Super Giants vs Rajasthan Royals – Lucknow – 7:30 PM IST
- April 25 – Rajasthan Royals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad – Jaipur – 7:30 PM IST
- April 28 – Punjab Kings vs Rajasthan Royals – New Chandigarh – 7:30 PM IST
- May 1 – Rajasthan Royals vs Delhi Capitals – Jaipur – 7:30 PM IST
- May 9 – Rajasthan Royals vs Gujarat Titans – Jaipur – 7:30 PM IST
- May 17 – Delhi Capitals vs Rajasthan Royals – Delhi – 7:30 PM IST
- May 19 – Rajasthan Royals vs Lucknow Super Giants – Jaipur – 7:30 PM IST
- May 24 – Mumbai Indians vs Rajasthan Royals – Mumbai – 3:30 PM IST
Note: IST = GMT+5:30
Also read: IPL – Complete list of all captains of Rajasthan Royals (RR) till date. Riyan Parag and Sanju Samson