Who benefits more from the CSK-RR trade?

Overview

• The Rajasthan Royals are set to trade Sanju Samson for Sam Curran and Ravindra Jadeja with CSK for the IPL 2026
• Samson has been one of the best batters in the middle overs in the IPL since 2020 and is fairly young at 31
• Jadeja will be 37 by IPL 2026, and Curran hasn't been at his best in the league for a long time

The Rajasthan Royals are set to trade Sanju Samson for Sam Curran and Ravindra Jadeja with CSK for the IPL 2026. Samson has been one of the best batters in the middle overs in the IPL since 2020 and is fairly young at 31. Jadeja will be 37 by IPL 2026, and Curran hasn't been at his best in the league for a long time.

CSK might clearly be the winners in the trade. Their biggest worry in the IPL 2025 was the poor form of the batters from number 3 to 5 till they got Dewald Brevis on board. Samson can bridge the gap between the openers and the middle-order batters well.

Not to forget, MS Dhoni is only growing older and might call it a day in the upcoming seasons. Hence, Samson might become his replacement as the wicketkeeper batter. While their roles as batters are different, Samson can keep wickets.

Why Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran's trade might not benefit RR?

Moreover, Samson will be 31 during the IPL 2026 and still has a lot to offer as a player in the league. On the other hand, Jadeja will be 37 during the 19th edition of the league. In the last couple of seasons, he hasn't been as good. With the bat, he has failed to perform consistently since 2021.

Curran hasn't had a good IPL for a long time. In fact, since 2020, he hasn't delivered a standout performance in the IPL. His best performance came in the T20 World Cup 2022, almost three years ago. Since then, he hasn't been at his best as a batter or as a bowler.