Rajasthan Royals pulled off a pre-IPL 2026 coup by trading for Ravindra Jadeja from CSK at 14 crores, sending Sanju Samson and Sam Curran (later swapped for Dasun Shanaka due to injury) the other way. Fans and pundits are buzzing—is this the steal of the auction window?
The southpaw all-rounder has hit the ground running in six outings: five scalps and 85 runs already. Facing CSK in his first RR game, Jadeja grabbed 2/18. He leaked 25 in two overs sans wickets against GT but notched an unbeaten 7, contributing to back-to-back wins.
Sat out batting and bowling vs MI, but lit up the RCB clash with 1/14 in two overs and a match-turning unbeaten 24 off 25 deliveries for a six-wicket triumph. The SRH thriller on April 13 defined his resilience. RR slumped to 9/5 chasing 217; Jadeja’s 45 off 32 meshed with Ferreira’s 69 off 44 for 118 runs, turning a potential rout into a respectable chase.
On April 19 versus KKR, post a quick 9, he dismantled the top order with 2/8 in three overs. KKR edged home, but Jadeja’s versatility shone.
Jadeja transforms RR across formats. He anchors innings, accelerates when needed, deploys cunning spin to choke momentum, fields like a panther, and mentors the squad with his IPL pedigree. At 14 crores, RR might just have future-proofed their core.
