3 reasons why CSK trading out Sam Curran to RR ahead of IPL 2026 Auction would be the wrong move

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are willing to add all-rounder Sam Curran, along with veteran Ravindra Jadeja, to avail the services of Sanju Samson from Rajasthan Royals (RR), in what is shaping to be one of the biggest trades in Indian Premier League (IPL) history. This could mean that the Englishman's return to the Yellow Army could be cut short after just one season.

According to a report by ESPN Cricinfo, all three aforementioned players have been informed of the progression of the trade move. Curran was roped in by CSK once again during the IPL 2025 mega auction for INR 2.4 crore, but did not have the most fluent of campaigns, where the franchise also finished at the bottom of the table.

On that note, let us take a look at three reasons why CSK trading out Sam Curran to RR ahead of IPL 2026 Auction would be the wrong move.

#1 Cashing out Sam Curran when he is on the rise would be an unwise call

Sam Curran has had a topsy-turvy career, and it is safe to say he has not been able to hit his potential. Once the most expensive player in the league, the all-rounder is now being shunned as a disposable asset, and just as a mere add-on in a trade.

While he may not have justified his price tags in recent times, he has certainly been on the up for a while. Making a comeback into the England white-ball setup, improving his batting and consistently playing up the order for country and franchise to expand his versatility, he has been doing the right things to be considered again as a top all-rounder.

Curran had a solid Vitality Blast campaign for Surrey, scoring 365 runs in 15 matches at an average of 26.07 and a strike rate of 142.57, while also picking up 21 wickets at an average of 18.47.

He was the ninth leading run-scorer in the 2025 Hundred, and the fourth leading wicket-taker, playing a vital role in the Oval Invincibles' three-peat.

Even in CSK's doomed IPL 2025 campaign, he had shown enough promise, especially with the bat, to have an impact in his second stint with the team after a tricky tenure with the Punjab Kings (PBKS).

#2 Sam Curran is ironically the answer to most of the things CSK are looking for at the auction

As things stand, outside of the trade chatter involving the potential incoming of Sanju Samson and Washington Sundar, CSK are desperate for reinforcements in the middle order and the death bowling department. In a way, the team already has an answer for this predicament in the form of Sam Curran. While they are entitled to go for other options in the playing pool, the Englishman can certainly fulfill the role if form and circumstances permit.

Sam Curran has been used as a pinch hitter in the past, whether right at the top, or in the middle order. He can be handed that particular role on a full-time basis, as he is much better equipped for that at this stage of his career, rather than as a full-fledged finisher.

He does not exude the traits of a ruthless finisher capable of destroying bowlers in the death overs, but instead is a clever and shrewd operator who chooses his moment to strike and take on, making him a much better candidate for the middle order.

He holds a strike rate of 142.75 in the middle overs in 2025, with 101 boundaries in 587 deliveries. In fact, the numbers for that particular phase of game is much better than Shivam Dube, who CSK currently views as a left-handed middle-over specialist hitter, especially against spin. However, the Indian all-rounder has just played 205 deliveries, less than a third of what the Englishman has, this year.

As far as death bowling is concerned, CSK's faith in Matheesha Pathirana is slowly waning after taking him in as a core member ahead of the mega auction. The team have also not been quite keen on Nathan Ellis despite his prowess, as he featured in only one match the entire IPL 2025 season.

Sam Curran has the traits of a death bowler with his tricky angle, variations, and ability to hit the wide yorkers. However, he was not used in the death overs during IPL 2025. He has not proven to be the most consistent option for the final phase in the past in terms of containment, but he is a prolific wicket-taker. He need not be the go-to death bowler, but can certainly chip in at times to make an impact.

#3 CSK will find it hard to find a versatile and experienced player like Sam Curran

Sam Curran may not have the numbers when it comes to IPL 2025, but it is harsh to judge a player in a season where more or less the entire squad faltered. It also does not help that the Englishman played on a sporadic basis, and without much role clarity.

In his first two appearances in IPL 2025, he featured in the middle-order. His next appearance came almost a month later, where he was asked to bat at No.3.

The takeaway here is that CSK had at least the option or the luxury of bringing in a World Cup winner and deploying him in various roles with both bat and ball. If they part ways with him, they might find it difficult to find another such versatile option from their existing squad, or from the auction pool.

Edited by Gokul Nair