Suresh Raina names one player CSK should release amid Samson saga

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) continue to be at the center of trade talks involving Ravindra Jadeja and Sanju Samson. Former India and CSK batter Suresh Raina has been vocal about his stance that his former teammate Jadeja must stay. The all-rounder, who has been one of the pillars of CSK’s success since his arrival in 2011, was reportedly in talks with Rajasthan Royals (RR) for a possible trade ahead of IPL 2026. But Raina believes letting him go would be a huge mistake.

Raina backs Jadeja to stay at CSK

Speaking on JioStarRaina named the key players he believes CSK should retain before the retention deadline. He put Jadeja at the very top of this list. “Ravindra Jadeja is expected to be retained again. He is a gun player for CSK. He has done really well for the team over the years, so ‘Sir Ravindra Jadeja’ must be there“Raina said.

The former vice-captain added that Dhoni, Ruturaj Gaikwad and young spinner Noor Ahmad should also be retained. Even though the video in which Raina gave his views may have been shot before the whole Jadeja-Samson exchange saga, it shows how emotional the connection was between CSK and Jadeja. Dhoni, Jadeja and Raina are considered the three pillars of CSK.

The Jadeja-Samson saga continues

According to multiple reports, CSK could send Jadeja and one of Sam Curran or Matheesha Pathirana to Jaipur in exchange for Samson in a deal that has been under negotiation for weeks. With the IPL 2026 retention deadline set for November 15, discussions between CSK and RR have been making headlines. Rajasthan initially held talks with Delhi Capitals for a swap involving Samson and Tristan Stubbs, but the deal fell through after RR’s additional demand for uncapped hitter Sameer Rizvi. Once the Delhi move fell through, RR reopened communication with CSK and Jadeja agreed.

Raina suggests releasing Conway, Shankar and Hooda

While urging CSK to retain Jadeja, Raina also advised the franchise to part ways with some players. He specifically mentioned Devon Conway, Vijay Shankar and Deepak Hooda as names expected to be released before the auction.

“Devon Conway should be released. CSK needs a local opener, who they will look for in the mini-auction. Vijay Shankar has already got a lot of chances. So I think CSK should release him as well. Deepak Hooda should also be released. There are a lot of players available in the mini-auction who can offer the same combination to the team. These players got their chance last year and we saw how they played. So, CSK will probably have to look someone new.”

In total, CSK batters scored 2315 runs in the entire tournament with an ordinary strike rate of 138.29which is also the lowest. The second worst is KKR with an SR of 143.20. This is despite CSK facing the highest number of deliveries (1674) in the tournament (until Match 69).