Overview:
He also captained the franchise in 2022 but was removed after poor results, with MS Dhoni returning to lead the side.
CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan has revealed the reason behind Ravindra Jadeja’s move to Rajasthan Royals ahead of IPL 2026. Apart from Jadeja, Sam Curran also joined RR, with Sanju Samson moving to the five-time champions for INR 18 crore.
Jadeja went to RR for INR 14 crore after spending 12 seasons at CSK and played a key role in three title wins. He also captained the franchise in 2022 but was removed after poor results, with MS Dhoni returning to lead the side.
Viswanathan said that the franchise was looking for a top-order batter.
‘The management needed a top-order batter, and since not many Indian players are going to come to the mini-auction, we thought to use the trade window wisely. We took this call, and the team management got what they wanted. It was a tough decision to allow Jaddu to leave the team as he was a big part of the success of the team,” he said.
“It was probably one of the toughest decisions for CSK. The team management knew that the franchise was going through the transition phase, and we took this decision. We consulted the players, and it was a mutual agreement,” he added.
“Jadeja accepted the decision as he is in the fag end of his career in his white-ball career. He wanted to have a break,” he mentioned.
The CSK CEO highlighted the importance of building a team for the future. “We have players who are at the fag end of their careers. We need to build a squad for the future. Since it is going to be a mini auction, we don’t have the chance to get the best Indian batters. Sanju has enough experience, having scored 4500 runs, and he has led the Rajasthan Royals. He is around 30 years old, so he is a good addition.”
The CSK CEO spoke about the upset fans. “Fans will be upset because we allowed Jadeja to leave. But the team management felt the need for change. I am sure that CSK will perform well and maintain the consistency in the coming years.”
In 186 matches for CSK, Jadeja scored 2198 runs and took 143 wickets.