IPL Trade: Team India’s T20 World Cup 2026 hero Sanju Samson has grabbed everyone’s attention with his impressive show in IPL 2026. Samson has been a key player in the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) lineup this season. Although he started his campaign on a disappointing note, he made a solid comeback and has already smashed two centuries – an unbeaten 115 against Delhi Capitals and a brilliant 101 against Mumbai Indians.
CSK’s decision to trade Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran for Rajasthan Royals (RR) Sanju Samsom has turned out to be a masterstroke and could go down as one of the greatest trades in IPL history. CSK have been hit by multiple injuries as the franchise also lost one of their key batters, Ayush Mhatre, while MS Dhoni has not featured in a single match so far, with his availability still uncertain.
Sanju Samson, who was traded at his existing fee of Rs 18 crore has been CSK’s leading run-scorer this season so far with a total of 402 runs in 11 runs at an average of 57.43, which includes two centuries and one fifty.
Sanju Samson made his IPL debut in 2013
Samson made his IPL debut in 2013 for Rajasthan Royals after being signed as an injury replacement for regular wicketkeeper Dishant Yagnik. He was also named the Emerging Player of the season after scoring 206 runs across 11 matches. Later, he was acquired by Delhi Daredevils (Delhi Capitals) for Rs 4.2 crore. He represented the franchise for two years and delivered a decent performance.
Samson rejoined Rajasthan Royals in 2018 and led the side until 2025 before joining CSK. During his time with RR, he scored more than 4,000 runs in 149 matches, including two centuries. His best season came in 2024, when he amassed over 500 runs.
Sanju Samson will be seen in action on May 10 as CSK will take on Lucknow Super Giants in their next IPL 2026 match at the M. Chidambaram Stadium.
RR acquired Curran and Jadeja in exchange of Samson
In exchange for Sanju Samson, Rajasthan Royals acquired the services of Sam Curran and Ravindra Jadeja. However, ahead of the season, Curran was ruled out of IPL 2026 due to a groin injury and was replaced by Sri Lanka’s Dasun Shanaka, who was signed for Rs 2 crore.
Meanwhile, Ravindra Jadeja has emerged as a crucial player for RR in the middle order, stabilising the innings on several occasions after top-order collapses. He has scored 152 runs in 10 matches at an average of 50.67 and has also picked up seven wickets so far.
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Also Read: IPL 2026 trades: Sanju Samson Swap For Jadeja, Curran In CSK
