Ravindra Jadeja forced CSK to let him join Rajasthan Royals; MS Dhoni had shut the door

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) were reluctant to release veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 mini auction, which is set to take place on December 16 in Abu Dhabi. However, Jadeja initiated the trade move despite the five-time champions being interested only in cash deals.

Sanju Samson has joined the Chennai team for the same amount (₹18 crore) for which he was retained by Rajasthan Royals (RR). Ravindra Jadeja, who was CSK’s highest-valued retention at ₹18 crore, has been traded to the Royals alongside Sam Curran. He will join Rajasthan with a revised contract worth ₹14 crore.

Chennai Super Kings Fail to Back Ravindra Jadeja?

Rohit Juglan revealed that Jadeja initiated the trade after the Sanju Samson-Tristan Stubbs swap between the Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Capitals failed. Juglan stated that CSK were already in discussions with the Rajasthan Royals but had been completely ruled out.

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“We were thinking that Ravindra Jadeja’s loyalty was not rewarded by the Chennai Super Kings. We kept discussing how CSK could even think of letting go of Ravindra Jadeja," Juglan said on his YouTube channel.

"The story has turned out to be something else. It was Jadeja who initiated the Rajasthan Royals trade deal, and all of this was happening when the Chennai Super Kings were in talks with the Delhi Capitals. The first round of discussions between CSK and Rajasthan Royals had already been completely ruled out," he added.

Ravindra Jadeja’s Initiative Changed the Course of the Trade

Rohit Juglan said that Jadeja’s direct push made the trade possible. He pointed out that CSK completed the first player-swap deal in their history. Juglan noted that CSK prefers all-cash transactions and would not have pursued a player-for-player trade without Jadeja’s involvement.

"Amidst this, the move that was initiated from Jadeja’s side completely changed the situation and turned the trade deal around. This is the reason CSK ended up making the first trade deal in their history. Otherwise, CSK has never been interested in player-to-player trades. They have always preferred all-cash deals,” Juglan further stated.

Jadeja Set for Second Stint With Rajasthan Royals

Ravindra Jadeja will join the Rajasthan Royals for the second time in the IPL. He had played for the Royals in the 2008 and 2009 seasons. He was one of the franchise’s most key players for the Chennai Super Kings.

Jadeja is the second-highest wicket-taker for CSK, with 152 wickets in 187 innings. He also scored 2,354 runs at a strike rate above 137.

One of his most memorable moments came in the IPL 2023 final, where he sealed the title with a six and a four off the last two deliveries against the Gujarat Titans (GT).

Jadeja scored 2,198 runs in 186 IPL matches for CSK at an average of 28.55 and took 143 wickets with an impressive economy of 7.64. He played a key role in CSK’s title wins in 2018, 2021, and 2023.

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