RR-DC almost agreed to swap players before CSK reinstated Jadeja

After months of speculation, Sanju Samson’s exit from Rajasthan Royals (RR) seems imminent. With the retention deadline for IPL 2026 set for November 15, there is not much time left and rumors are that his trade deal is all but confirmed. While everyone now knows about his upcoming proposal with Chennai Super Kings (CSK), another team came close to sealing the deal for Samson but could not agree on all the terms.

RR were close to finalizing a deal with Delhi Capitals (DC) before Chennai Super Kings returned to the spotlight with a new deal involving Ravindra Jadeja and another star player.

The RR-DC agreement collapsed at the last moment

According to Times of IndiaRajasthan Royals and Delhi Capitals were in advanced talks for a trade between Sanju Samson and South African slugger Tristan Stubbs. Negotiations had progressed smoothly and both sides were close to an agreement until RR demanded the inclusion of uncapped hitter Sameer Rizvi as part of the deal. Delhi were not willing to part with Rizvi, a player they see as a major asset for the future. This disagreement brought negotiations to an abrupt end, even after some stakeholders in Delhi learned of the proposed exchange.

Apart from Rizvi, Rajasthan could have asked for either Vipraj Nigam or Ashutosh Sharma, both uncapped but with a high ceiling. DC acquired Rizvi for Rs 95 lakh while paying Rs 3.80 crore and Rs 50 lakh for Ashutosh and Nigam, respectively.

CSK reopens negotiations for Jadeja-Samson swap

With the failure of the Delhi deal, Rajasthan quickly reopened talks with Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Both franchises had previously explored a potential trade between Jadeja and Samson, but discussions had turned cold when DC entered the picture. But this time, the intention is serious. RR wants Jadeja and another CSK player, either Sam Curran or Matheesha Pathirana. Chennai, on the other hand, has reportedly spoken to Jadeja to get clarity on his plans and future within the franchise.

It looks like CSK is carefully weighing their options. While they are willing to let Jadeja go, parting ways with Curran or Pathirana will depend on how the negotiations go. We also learn that Dewald Brevis and Shivam Dube were discussed but CSK rejected these options. It would have been gold for Rajasthan if they had Brevis or even Dube, who is now a T20 World Cup and Asia Cup winner.

Samson was retained by RR for INR 18 crore, while Jadeja and Curran are worth INR 20.4 crore combined. Pathirana, however, comes with a hefty tag of INR 13 crores. The trade, if finalized before the November 15 retention deadline, could become one of the biggest player swaps in IPL history. For now, the Delhi deal is off the table, and it’s CSK or nothing for Sanju Samson.