One of the biggest player trades in recent IPL history has been finalized, with Sanju Samson moving from Rajasthan Royals to Chennai Super Kings, while Ravindra Jadeja returns to RR. CSK acquired the services of Samson at his existing league fee of ₹18 crore, aiming to address structural issues, that have plagued the five-time champion's, most importantly adapting to a No-Dhoni world.
The trade package saw the Rajasthan Royals acquire two players: all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and England all-rounder Sam Curran, who is valued at ₹2.4 crore. Jadeja's move marks sort of a homecoming to the franchise where his IPL career began in 2008, and he won the inaugural title. As part of the trade agreement, Jadeja’s league fee was revised from his previous ₹18 crore down to ₹14 crore.
RR aim to inject experience, leadership depth, and late-overs control into a squad that struggled with balance following Samson's injury in the 2025 season.
For CSK, the acquisition of Samson, directly addresses their need for a high-impact Indian wicketkeeper-batsman and a potential long-term captaincy candidate. However, letting go of Jadeja, who was central to CSK's spin philosophy with 143 wickets and three title-winning campaigns, creates a major gap.
The swap was one of several deals confirmed ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. India pacer Mohammed Shami (10 crore) will move from SunRisers Hyderabad to Lucknow Super Giants. In a separate deal, Arjun Tendulkar was traded from Mumbai Indians to LSG (30 Lakhs). Furthermore, Mayank Markande has moved to Mumbai Indians, and Nitish Rana has been traded from Rajasthan Royals to Delhi Capitals.
These finalize the core structures of several franchises ahead of the retention deadline and the upcoming auction.