The Rajasthan Royals moved their skipper, Sanju Samson, to the Chennai Super Kings in one of the IPL’s most historic transactions. Star all-around player Ravindra Jadeja returns to the Rajasthan-based team at the same time. After a few minor technological difficulties, the BCCI approved the deal, which also includes Sam Curran, making it a unique three-player transfer.
After weeks of negotiations, RR and CSK finally reached an agreement with just hours to go before the retention deadline. After Rajasthan insisted on adding Sam Curran, what had begun as a straightforward trade between Samson and Jadeja turned into a more involved negotiation. Rajasthan decided to acquire Curran, which was worth INR 2.4 crore, even though Samson and Jadeja had the same retention value of INR 18 crore. Notably, Samson will continue to play for CSK at his current INR 18 crore league fee. Regarding Curran, the English all-rounder, he was traded for his current league cost of INR 2.4 crore.
Notably, Samson did not leave the Rajasthan Royals abruptly. Samson became more and more disengaged from the franchise’s choices during the previous two seasons. Samson was persuaded that RR was trying to rebuild after Jos Buttler was released, followed by experienced players Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravichandran Ashwin. However, he did not quite agree with this.
There were reportedly internal conflicts regarding his batting position as well. Samson desired to start the innings, but RR was determined to support Vaibhav Suryavanshi, a young opener. The new Jaiswal-Suryavanshi combination was too successful for management to dismantle by the time Samson recovered from his injury in the 2025 Indian Premier League.
Samson was left at number three, a position he did not want to hold for very long.
Jadeja did not clarify that RR will be captain.
According to reports, CSK had been chasing the Kerala native for three years. They were looking for a long-term Indian wicketkeeper-batter who could lead the batting and possibly the squad in the future, as MS Dhoni’s playing days were coming to an end.
However, prior to his 2010 suspension, Jadeja had previously played for RR during his first two IPL seasons. He played 185 games, amassed 2000 runs, and claimed 140+ wickets while with CSK, including his historic 2023 final finish. He became a franchise icon. Jadeja’s league fee has been reduced from INR 18 crore to INR 14 crore as part of the trade agreement.
However, the team believed Jadeja’s importance might be diminished in upcoming seasons due to CSK’s desire to restructure their roster, Noor Ahmad’s presence, and Chepauk’s declining spin-friendliness. According to reports, Jadeja and Dhoni talked about the transfer in advance and decided it was in everyone’s best interests. Furthermore, Jadeja is expected to be a senior member of the setup, but RR has not assured him of leadership.
India
