Overview:
The 26-year-old can bowl in any situation and has a knack for picking up important wickets. Given his abilities, Gujarat are not looking to let go of him.
While the Chennai Super Kings are on the verge of adding Sanju Samson to their squad for IPL 2026, their interest in Washington Sundar has been blocked by the Gujarat Titans. The five-time champions wanted to bring the local boy to the franchise as a replacement for Ravindra Jadeja, who is heading to the Rajasthan Royals in exchange for Samson. However, Gujarat have shown no interest.
After CSK opened trade talks with RR about Samson and Jadeja, they were looking at a spin all-rounder who could replace the departing legend. The retirement of R Ashwin and the exit of Jadeja mean that CSK are without a match-winning Indian spinner. Afghanistan’s Noor Ahmad is the only reputable tweaker with Sheryas Gopal as a backup. Chennai were exploring the idea of signing Washington, but it seems they had accepted the reality.
Since the introduction of the Impact Player rule in the IPL, Sundar’s chances have been limited, with Sunrisers Hyderabad benching him in 2023 and 2024. He was bought for INR 3.2 crore by GT and played just 6 matches in 2025. But his fortune has changed since becoming the all-format player for India in international cricket. He has improved a lot as a batter and has made match-winning contributions.
The 26-year-old can bowl in any situation and has a knack for picking up important wickets. Given his abilities, Gujarat are not looking to let go of him.
It would be interesting to see how Chennai fill their spinners’ slot before the next season of the tournament.
Muttiah Muralitharan, R Ashwin, Shadab Jakati, Imran Tahir, Harbhajan Singh, and Moeen Ali have been part of the franchise in the past.