Former Indian cricket team captain Sourav Ganguly did not mince words when asked for his reaction on the uncertainty surrounding Mitchell Starc 's availability for the start of IPL 2026. Delhi Capitals said at the press conference that they are waiting for a green signal from Cricket Australia. And this is what Dada said while in Delhi for a brand endorsement for Jakson, "It hurts... because when quality players don't come in at the last minute, it shakes the balance of the team." Starc is set to miss the opening phase of the season as Cricket Australia carefully manages his workload ahead of a packed 2026-27 calendar. The timing could not be worse as franchises build their squads and strategies around marquee overseas players. Ganguly, speaking on the broader issue of player availability in franchise cricket, said the impact of such late withdrawals is far greater in the IPL than in international cricket. "It hurts because I've always said making an India...
Chennai Super Kings Managing Director Kasi Viswanathan discussed the franchise trading their key all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja to Rajasthan Royals, describing it as one of the most difficult decisions the team management had to make. Ahead of the IPL 2026 auction, the league confirmed on Saturday that Jadeja and Sam Curran had been traded to RR, with CSK receiving Sanju Samson in exchange.
Although the news had been circulating for nearly a week, official confirmation from both franchises left many fans heartbroken. Both Jadeja and Samson had been integral parts of their respective teams, becoming the faces of their sides.
However, the CSK MD stated that the decision was mutual, and the players believed a change was necessary.
"Chennai Super Kings, as you know, 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 batsman. And since not many Indian batsmen are going to be available at the auction, we thought the best way to get an Indian top-order batter is to go through the trade window.
"And hence we have to take this call. And, this decision has been taken by the team management and 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 that CSK had to take, that the team management had to take. Considering the transition of CSK at this point of time, the team management took the toughest decision.
"It is a must that we should consult with the players concerned. And it was after mutual agreement that we under took this. When I spoke to Jadeja, he was also very clear that if there is an opportunity for him because he is also, he also felt that he was at the fag end of his career in white ball. So he also felt that he can have a break," Kasi said in a video shared by the CSK.
"Sam Curran was with us in 2020, 2021 and 2025. He has been a Consistent performer for us. As I said earlier, leaving out Sam as well as Jaddu was one of the toughest calls. We have certain players who are at the fag end of their career. And it is very important for CSK to build a team in the next couple of years. And since this is a mini auction, we don't have the opportunity to get the best of the Indian batsmen.
"Sanju has been one of the most experienced IPL batsmen, having scored more than 4,500 runs. And he has also been leading Rajasthan Royals. He has the experience and he is only around 30 years. So, we thought that he will be a good addition for CSK to take care of the future. Emotionally, the fans will be very very upset because I have already got a lot of messages from the fans. But taking into account the current status of the team composition, nothing tank of the CSK cricket management felt the need for a change. And I am sure that in the years to come, CSK will maintain the same kind of consistency and also perform well," he added.
Jadeja, who played for CSK for 12 seasons and appeared in over 250 matches, is one of the most experienced players in the league. According to the trade agreement, his league fee has been reduced from Rs 18 crore to Rs 14 crore.
Meanwhile, Samson will represent CSK at his current league fee of Rs 18 crore. With 177 IPL matches to his name, he is also one of the league's most experienced players. This will be only his third franchise. Since his IPL debut in 2013, the senior player has mostly played for RR, apart from two seasons-2016 and 2017-when he played for Delhi Capitals.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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