Rajasthan Royals have picked a debutant in Brijesh Sharma ahead of their IPL 2026 opener against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the Baraspara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on March 30, Monday.
With Brijesh likely to have an early bowl, it's worth exploring his cricketing journey ahead of his IPL debut/
Who is Brijesh Sharma?
Born on December 16, 1998 in Udhampur district, Jammu & Kashmir, the 27-year-old was picked up by the Royals for a base price of ₹30 lakh. The youngster is yet to play any match in any format but featured in the 2025 Pro Bengal T20 League. Brijesh was a joint-highest wicket-taker with 11 wickets in seven games. Brijesh notably hails from a very humble background and struggled financially as a son of a labourer. He started playing for J&K at the U-19 and U-25 levels. As a cricketer from J&K, he has become a symbol of hope for the region, following Umran Malik and Auqib Nabi.
As an unknown face, he will have a chance to stamp his authority but he could be overshadowed by the presence of Jofra Archer and Nandre Burger - the two new-ball bowlers.
Riyan Parag wins toss and opts to bowl first against the Chennai Super Kings in Guwahati
Meanwhile, Parag, leading the Royals for the first time as a full-time skipper, has won the toss and opted to field first in Guwahati. The all-rounder cited the earlier rain as a factor behind wanting to bowl first.
Chennai Super Kings(Playing XI): Sanju Samson(w), Ruturaj Gaikwad(c), Ayush Mhatre, Matthew Short, Shivam Dube, Kartik Sharma, Jamie Overton, Noor Ahmad, Matt Henry, Anshul Kamboj, Khaleel Ahmed.
Rajasthan Royals(Playing XI): Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Riyan Parag(c), Dhruv Jurel(w), Shimron Hetmyer, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger, Sandeep Sharma, Ravi Bishnoi, Brijesh Sharma.
The Super Kings have two major injury concerns, with MS Dhoni nursing a calf injury and Dewald Brevis dealing with a side strain. While Dhoni could take as long as the end of April to return to the playing eleven, Brevis could be available for the Royals following the first 2 or 3 games. IPL 2026 opened with reigning champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) defeating the SunRisers Hyderabad, chasing down 202. Meanwhile, the Mumbai Indians beat the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by chasing down 221 relatively comfortably in their home game.