Samson to Jadeja: Top IPL trades you need to know!

• IPL 2026 mini auction: Dec 16 in Abu Dhabi, 360 players, teams build squads.
• Jadeja, Samson & Curran traded between CSK and RR in captaincy shakeup.
• Thakur, Shami, Tendulkar, Rana, Ferreira among other key player transfers.

The IPL 2026 marks the 19th edition of the T20 cricket league and the mini auction takes place on December 16 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.

This marks the

third consecutive overseas auction and second in the UAE since 2024. A total of 173 players were retained, leaving teams with varying purses - Kolkata Knight Riders lead with ₹64.30 crore for 13 slots, while Mumbai Indians have the smallest at ₹2.75 crore for 5 slots. 360 players will head into the auction as the teams look to build strong squads.

Ahead of the IPL 2026 mini-auction on December 16 in Abu Dhabi, franchises executed strategic trades, reshaping squads with high-profile moves.

IPL 2026 Trades

Ravindra Jadeja, the elite all-rounder renowned for spin bowling, exceptional fielding, and lower-order batting, shifted from Chennai Super Kings to Rajasthan Royals in a major captaincy exchange.

In the opposite direction, Sanju Samson, the aggressive wicketkeeper-batsman and former Rajasthan Royals skipper, joined Chennai Super Kings to provide leadership and explosive batting firepower. Sam Curran also moved from Chennai Super Kings to Rajasthan Royals as part of this deal.

Pace and All-Round Reinforcements

Shardul Thakur transferred from Lucknow Super Giants to Mumbai Indians, strengthening their pace unit. Mohammed Shami, a premier new-ball swinger and wicket-taker, went from Sunrisers Hyderabad to Lucknow Super Giants to lead their attack. Arjun Tendulkar swapped from Mumbai Indians to LSG, the first move away from the Paltans for Sachin Tendulkar's son.

In addition to them, Nitish Rana joined Delhi Capitals from Rajasthan Royals, while Donovan Ferreira was roped in by the Royals.

Full List of Traded Players before IPL 2026 Auction

Player	Nationality	Price (in INR)	From	To
Shardul Thakur	India	2 crore	Lucknow Super Giants	Mumbai Indians
Sherfane Rutherford	West Indies	2.6 crore	Gujarat Titans	Mumbai Indians
Ravindra Jadeja	India	14 crore	Chennai Super Kings	Rajasthan Royals
Sanju Samson	India	18 crore	Rajasthan Royals	Chennai Super Kings
Sam Curran	England	2.4 crore	Chennai Super Kings	Rajasthan Royals
Mohammed Shami	India	10 crore	Sunrisers Hyderabad	Lucknow Super Giants
Donovan Ferreira	South Africa	1 crore	Delhi Capitals	Rajasthan Royals
Nitish Rana	India	4.2 crore	Rajasthan Royals	Delhi Capitals
Mayank Markande	India	30 lakh	Kolkata Knight Riders	Mumbai Indians
Arjun Tendulkar	India	30 lakh	Mumbai Indians	Lucknow Super Giants