The Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises confirmed eight player trades ahead of the 2026 season retention deadline, with Ravindra Jadeja and Sanju Samson grabbing the spotlight. While the star all-rounder has been traded to the Rajasthan Royals (RR), wicketkeeper-batter Samson will now represent the Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
Jadeja, who represented CSK for 12 seasons and played over 250 matches, is among the league’s most experienced players. Under the trade agreement, his league fee has been reduced from ₹18 crore to ₹14 crore, the IPL said in a release on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Samson will turn out for CSK at his current league fee of ₹18 crore. With 177 IPL matches to his name, he is also one of the league’s most seasoned players. This will be only his third franchise. Since making his IPL debut in 2013, Samson has largely played for RR, apart from two seasons (2016 and 2017) with the Delhi Capitals (DC).
England all-rounder Sam Curran will move from CSK to RR at his current IPL fee of ₹2.4 crore after a successful trade. The 27-year-old has played 64 IPL matches so far. RR will be his third franchise, following stints with Punjab Kings (2019, 2023, 2024) and CSK across multiple seasons.
Veteran pacer Mohammed Shami will represent the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) after being traded from Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). Shami, who was SRH’s second-costliest buy before the IPL 2025 season at ₹10 crore, will join LSG at the same fee.
The senior fast bowler brings extensive experience, having played 119 IPL matches with five different teams since his debut in 2013. Before joining SRH, Shami was a key member of the Gujarat Titans (GT) and won the Purple Cap in 2023 with 28 wickets in 17 matches. Although he missed the 2024 season due to injury, he delivered a standout performance in 2023, taking 20 wickets and playing a crucial role in GT’s title-winning campaign.
Leg-spinner Mayank Markande will rejoin the Mumbai Indians (MI) after a successful trade from the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). KKR bought Markande for ₹30 lakh, and he will return to MI at the same fee.
Markande began his IPL journey with MI, representing the franchise in 2018, 2019, and 2022. He later played for the Rajasthan Royals in 2021 and for Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2023 and 2024. Overall, he has played 37 IPL matches, taking 37 wickets.
Bowling all-rounder Arjun Tendulkar will join LSG following a trade from MI. He will continue at his current fee of ₹30 lakh. Initially picked by MI in the 2021 auction, he made his debut for the franchise in 2023.
Before the league confirmed the developments, IANS had reported on Thursday the likelihood of the Samson-Jadeja-Curran trades between CSK and RR, along with the moves involving Shami, Tendulkar, and Markande.
Left-handed batter Nitish Rana will now represent DC after being traded from RR. He will retain his current fee of ₹4.2 crore, which RR had bid for at the IPL 2025 auction. Rana, who has played more than 100 IPL matches, captained KKR in 2023 when Shreyas Iyer was sidelined due to injury.
All-rounder Donovan Ferreira is set to rejoin his first franchise, RR, after a successful trade from DC. As part of the trade agreement, his fee has been increased from ₹75 lakh to ₹1 crore.
–IANS