3 reasons why CSK trading out Ravindra Jadeja for Sanju Samson ahead of IPL 2026 would be the wrong move

The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) are reportedly in trade talks to switch star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja with wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. As per a Cricbuzz report, the Royals want another player – Dewald Brevis – as part of the deal. The ball is in their court to make a decision. It's worth mentioning that Samson and Jadeja have the same salary bracket of INR 18 crore.

Jadeja has been playing for the Super Kings since IPL 2012, barring the 2016 and 2017 seasons when the franchise faced a two-year suspension. The all-rounder lifted the 2011, 2018, 2021, and 2023 IPL titles with the Chennai-based franchise.

In 2025, the left-arm spinner bagged 10 wickets in 14 matches at an economy rate of 8.56. With the bat, the southpaw amassed 301 runs in 14 innings at a strike rate of 135.58, including two half-centuries.

Like Jadeja, Samson has been representing the Royals since 2013, excluding the 2016 and 2017 seasons (due to RR’s suspension). The Kerala-born player began leading the Jaipur-based franchise in 2021, winning 33 out of 67 matches. In the 2025 season, he missed out on five games due to an injury, scoring 285 runs in nine games at a strike rate of 140.39.

In this article, we will shed light on three possible reasons why Jadeja should stay with the five-time champions for the IPL 2026 season.

3-D player who offers balance to CSK

With his batting, bowling, and fielding genius, Ravindra Jadeja is a three-dimensional player who offers balance to the Super Kings. In 186 matches for the Super Kings, the middle-order batter has amassed 2198 runs in 139 innings at a strike rate of 136.10, comprising five half-centuries. In these innings, he remained unbeaten 62 times.

With 170 scalps, Jadeja is one of the leading wicket-takers in IPL. The left-arm spinner has bagged 143 wickets in 186 matches for CSK at an economy rate of 7.64, including four four-fers.

Jadeja was one of the main contributors when CSK lifted their last two titles in 2021 (227 runs and 13 scalps) and 2023 (190 runs and 20 wickets).

Finishing issues at CSK

CSK have finishing issues, which were apparent in the IPL 2025 season. The franchise failed to chase five out of their seven games while chasing. They have also failed to get the final flourish even while batting first. Despite this, Jadeja managed 301 runs in 14 innings at a strike rate of 135.59, including two half-centuries, in the 2025 season. The southpaw stayed unbeaten on 32, 9, 53, 77, and 21 whenever he found himself going.

Additionally, Jadeja is a consistent batter at No. 4, 5, 6, and 7, which allows the team to send him at any position, regardless of the circumstances. He can handle pressure, having scored a six and four when the team needed 10 runs off the final two deliveries in the IPL 2023 final.

Sanju Samson is not a middle-order batter to solve the purpose.

Experience at Chepauk

Ravindra Jadeja enjoys a massive experience with CSK on home turf – MA Chidambaram Stadium, also known as Chepauk Stadium. Despite hot and humid conditions, the left-arm spinner knows how to exploit the surface, having scalped 37 wickets in 50 innings at an impressive economy rate of 7.03. Any new player to the CSK setup would need some time to get habituated to the challenging conditions.

In addition, Jadeja quickly finishes with his quota of overs in the middle overs. The left-handed batter is equally effective with the bat, having amassed 518 runs in 41 innings, staying unbeaten on 10 occasions.

With no key Indian all-rounder at the IPL 2026 auction, Jadeja’s retention might prove to be worth it for the Super Kings.

Edited by James Kuanal