CSK's trade deal request for Team India all-rounder gets rejected ahead of IPL 2026 auction: Reports

The Chennai Super Kings (CSK)’s idea of bringing star Indian all-rounder Washington Sundar has taken a blow as the Gujarat Titans (GT) have decided against the trade deal ahead of IPL 2026 auction. As per the Indian Express, the five-time champions were looking to bring in Sundar as a replacement for Ravichandran Ashwin or Ravindra Jadeja. The Titans have confirmed that Sundar is part of the core group and expected to play a key role in the next IPL season. While Ashwin has announced his retirement, Jadeja is part of the ongoing trade deal between CSK and the Rajasthan Royals (RR).

As per ESPNcricinfo, Sanju Samson will join the Super Kings, while all-rounders Jadeja and Sam Curran will be traded to the Royals ahead of the retention, which is likely to take place on November 15 (as per JioHotstar).

In such a scenario, the Super Kings are left with only two quality spinners in Noor Ahmad and Shreyas Iyer. Unfortunately, the two players do not offer much batting. They are also only left with New Zealand’s Rachin Ravindra, who offers left-arm spin – subject to retention.

With spin-friendly conditions in Chepauk, the franchise has preferred quality spinners like Imran Tahir, Moeen Ali, and Harbhajan Singh over the years. This year, they are in a tricky situation if Jadeja’s trade is a success, depending on their purse and players available at the auction.

Washington Sundar’s records in IPL

Washington Sundar has played 66 matches in IPL, picking up 39 wickets at an economy rate of 7.69. With the bat, he has scored 511 runs in 45 innings at a strike rate of 126.17. Last year, GT acquired him for INR 3.2 crore at the IPL 2025 mega auction. The all-rounder, however, featured in just six matches, scoring 133 runs at a strike rate of 166.25. The off-spinner also bagged two wickets but at an economy rate of 10.24.

Surprisingly, Sundar’s maiden IPL season with the now-defunct Rising Pune Super Giants in 2017 remains his best outing in the T20 tournament. In his debut season, the Chennai-born player scalped eight wickets in 11 matches at an economy rate of 6.16. He then played for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (2018-2021) and SunRisers Hyderabad (2022-24) before joining GT.

Having said that, Sundar recently smashed a quickfire 49* (23) and returned with figures of 3/3 in the third and fourth T20Is in Australia as India won the five-match series 2-1. Overall, in T20s, Sundar has 118 wickets and 1489 runs (including three half-centuries) in 158 matches.

Edited by James Kuanal