In one of the most historic moments of IPL, Rajasthan Royals have changed their captain. sanju samson, To Chennai Super Kings. At the same time, star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has returned to the Rajasthan-based franchise. The deal, approved by the BCCI after brief technical issues, also includes Sam Curran, making it a rare three-player trade.
With the retention deadline just hours away, RR and CSK finalized a deal that had been in discussion for weeks. What started as a simple exchange between Samson and Jadeja turned into a bigger conversation after Rajasthan insisted on adding Sam Curran. Both Samson and Jadeja had the same retention price of Rs 18 crore, but Rajasthan decided to secure Curran, who was valued at Rs 2.4 crore. Notably, Samson will represent CSK at his current league fee of Rs 18 crore. As far as English all-rounder Curran is concerned, he has been traded for his current league fee of Rs 2.4 crore.
It is worth noting that Samson's exit from Rajasthan Royals was not sudden. Over the last two seasons, Samson became increasingly alienated from the franchise's decisions. The release of Jos Buttler, followed by senior players Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravichandran Ashwin, convinced Samson that RR were looking to rebuild, which he did not fully support.
According to reports, there were internal differences regarding his batting position. Samson wanted to open the innings, but RR were determined to support young opener Vaibhav Suryavanshi. By the time Samson returned from injury in IPL 2025, the new pairing of Jaiswal and Suryavanshi had done a great job for the management to break it up. This left Samson at number 3, a role he did not relish for long.
Jadeja did not confirm the captaincy of RR
Meanwhile, CSK had reportedly been chasing the Kerala-born player for three years. With MS Dhoni nearing the end of his playing career, he was looking for a long-term Indian wicketkeeper-batsman who could bat and potentially lead the team in the future.
Jadeja, on the other hand, played his first two IPL seasons with RR before it was suspended in 2010. At CSK, he became a franchise icon by playing 185 matches, scoring 2000 runs and taking 140+ wickets, including his unforgettable finishing act in the 2023 final. Meanwhile, for Jadeja, his league fee has been revised from Rs 18 crore to Rs 14 crore as part of the trade deal.
However, with CSK looking to improve their squad, the presence of Noor Ahmed and Chepauk being less spin-friendly led the franchise to believe Jadeja's role may be reduced in future seasons. Jadeja and Dhoni reportedly discussed the move beforehand and agreed that it was best for both parties. Also, RR has not guaranteed Jadeja the captaincy but is expected to be a senior figure in the setup.
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