Irradiation is a technique used for food conservation, but it can also be used as a tool for starch modification. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate the starch digestibility and physical characteristics of starch from two Brazilian rice cultivars. IAC 202 and IRGA 417 were submitted to gamma radiation doses of 1, 2 and 5 kGy, at a dose rate of 0.4 kGy h-1, a control without irradiation was used for comparison. The coloring of the starches showed practically no changes. The water absorption and water solubility index presented a slight increase. This occurs because of the breakdown of molecules caused by irradiation. IAC 202 showed no difference to syneresis between doses, whereas the IRGA 417 showed an increase up in 2 kGy and fall in 5 kGy. As for starch digestibility the fraction rapidly digestible starch (RDS) showed no changes. The fraction slowly digestible starch (SDS) showed an increase with increasing doses to IAC 202, while IRGA 417 showed a decrease with 1 kGy and an increase with 2 and 5 kGy. For resistant starch (RS) the behavior between doses was also different for the cultivars. For IAC 202, the control presented the highest content, whereas for IRGA 417, the highest content was for the dose of 1 kGy. This can be due to differences in the structure of starch granules of the cultivars. Irradiation can be used as a tool in modification of rice starch, with changes in SDS and RS fractions.