GT reportedly turn down CSK's advances for Washington Sundar amid Ravindra Jadeja trade talks with RR

Chennai Super Kings have been making headlines ahead of the Indian Premier League retention deadline, which has been set for 15 November. The five-time champions, after all, are hoping to sign Rajasthan Royals wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson and are reportedly offering veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja as well as English seam-bowling all-rounder Sam Curran in exchange in what is shaping to be one of the biggest trades in the league’s history.

CSK, however, will also be on the lookout for quality replacements if the Samson-Jadeja trade does go through, especially since veteran spin-bowling all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin had announced his IPL retirement earlier this summer to play in overseas leagues.

The Super Kings have had their eyes on Gujarat Titans’ Washington Sundar, who also bowls off-spin like Ashwin and had been among the key performers in India’s recent white-ball tour of Australia. And being a Chennai lad, Sundar would have been seen as a perfect fit at CSK, someone who could potentially be part of the franchise’s core group in the years to come.

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That Chepauk happens to be his home ground in domestic cricket only strengthens the argument for him to join the Chennai Super Kings - which had finished at the bottom of the table for the first time in the IPL’s 17-year history earlier this year.

GT reject CSK’s advances after Sundar’s recent heroics

However, a report on The Indian Express states that the Titans, who are led by current India Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill, are not interested with parting ways with Sundar anytime soon and have rejected CSK’s advances so far, including terms such as a player swap as well as an all-cash deal.

Sundar hasn’t been getting enough game time in the IPL in recent years; since making 15 appearances for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2020, he has made a combined 30 appearances in the last five seasons, with the Sunrisers Hyderabad including him in just two games across the entire 2024 season.

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And in the 18th season earlier this year, Sundar – bought for Rs 3.2 crore – had made just six appearances in GT’s run to the playoffs, where they were knocked out by Mumbai Indians in the Eliminator, with Gill and Co preferring Afghan spin icon Rashid Khan and Tamil Nadu teammate R Sai Kishore over him.

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Sundar’s improved performances in recent fixtures, especially with the bat in the recent white-ball tour Down Under, however, will have impressed the captain Gill and head coach Ashish Nehra. And not only will GT be looking to fight off any advances for the spin-bowling all-rounder, they might end up rewarding him with more game time in the upcoming season.