The deadline day for Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 retentions is finally here and the T20 franchise league has seen some of the biggest moves. In one of the biggest talks which had been brewing since
the start of the trade window, which began just a week after Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) lifted their maiden IPL title in June 2025, Rajasthan Royals (RR) captain, Sanju Samson has officially made a move to five-time champions, Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
While the talks of this trade were rife off late, the official communication was done early on Saturday, November 15. In a post on X, the Rajasthan-based franchise bid adieu to their skipper, writing, “You walked in as a young boy in Blue. Today, we bid goodbye to a Captain, Leader, out Chetta. Thank you for everything, Sanju Samson.”
However, the Yellow Army also extended a warm welcome to the 31-year-old Indian wicketkeeper-batter writing, “SANJU SAMSON IS YELLOVE. �� Anbuden welcome, Chetta! �� ”
Ravindra Jadeja returns to Rajasthan Royals after 16 years in biggest IPL 2026 trade move
With this, Sanju Samson completed a trade swap with veteran Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and England all-rounder Sam Curran, both of whom have made a move to RR. With this, Jadeja returns to the Royals after 16 long years. Additionally, as a result of this swap deal, Jadeja's league amount has also seen a dip, and he'll now be receiving INR 14 Crore from the Royals instead of the previous INR 18 Crore. On the other hand, Samson has moved across to CSK at his existing fees of INR 18 Crore.
Notably, Jadeja has played for CSK for 12 seasons and is one of the most experienced played in the tournament, having played 254 games. Whereas, Sanju Samson, who will now be seen playing alongside MS Dhoni in the yellow jersey, has played 177 IPL matches since making his debut in 2013.
