CSK boss explains why Ravindra Jadeja was released for Sanju Samson: 'He was also very clear'

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) Managing Director Kasi Viswanathan has finally explained why the team decided to trade Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran to Rajasthan Royals (RR) in exchange for Sanju Samson ahead of IPL 2026. The move shocked many fans because Jadeja has been one of CSK’s biggest match-winners for more than a decade.

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Here’s why CSK released Jadeja

Kasi said that CSK needed a strong Indian top-order batter, and since there were not many options available in the upcoming auction, the team management felt that the only way to get someone like Samson was through a trade. He said CSK normally does not trade players, except once when they brought in Robin Uthappa, but this time the team felt it was necessary.

“CSK have traded Jadeja and Sam Curran for Sanju Samson from Rajasthan Royals. As a franchise, you might know that over the years, we have not used the path of trading except for one year when we got Robin Uthappa. The team management felt the need for a top order Indian batter and since not many Indian batters are going to be available at the auction, we thought the best way to get an Indian top order batter will be to go through the trade window. And hence the decision has been taken by the team management,” Kasi Viswanathan said.

He also admitted that letting go of Jadeja was one of the toughest decisions the franchise has ever made. Jadeja has played a huge role in CSK’s success over the years. But the team is going through a transition phase, and the management believed this was the right time to make the difficult call. Kasi said the final decision was made only after talking to the players involved and getting their agreement.

“It is a very tough decision, leaving out Jaddu, who has been responsible for the success of CSK over the years. It was probably one of the toughest decisions the CSK had to take as team management had to take. Considering the transition of the CSK at this point in time, the team management took the toughest decision. It is a must that we should consult the players concerned, and it was after mutual agreement that we undertook this,” he added.

Kasi also revealed that Jadeja himself was open to the move. According to him, Jadeja said he was reaching the later stage of his white-ball career and felt he could use a fresh break and a new opportunity. “See when I spoke to Jadeja, he was also very clear that if there is an opportunity for him because he also felt that he is in the far end of his career in white ball. So he also felt that he can have a break,” Kasi said.

The IPL confirmed on Saturday morning that Samson will join CSK for IPL 2026, while Jadeja and Curran will move to RR. This is one of the biggest trades in IPL history. Samson was retained by RR for INR 18 crore, and now he will join CSK for the same amount. Jadeja, who was also retained for INR 18 crore, will now be valued at INR 14 crore after the trade, while Curran’s price is same at INR 2.4 crore.

For Jadeja, this move is like going back to where it all began. He started his IPL journey with RR in 2008 and played for them for two seasons. He joined CSK in 2012 and became one of their most important players. He even became captain in 2022, though he handed the role back to MS Dhoni after a series of losses in the same season.