The much-anticipated Ravindra Jadeja-Sanju Samson trade between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) has hit a snag, with the deal yet to be formally submitted to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for approval. According to a Cricbuzz report, procedural and financial complications have delayed the move despite both franchises already showing interest.
The main reason for the delay is reportedly the involvement of England all-rounder Sam Curran in trade discussions. The Royals’ overseas quota is already full, preventing them from adding Curran unless they release one of their current overseas players.
There are currently eight overseas cricketers in the Rajasthan team – Jofra Archer, Shimron Hetmyer, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Kwena Maphaka, Nandre Burger and Lhuan-dre Pretorius – along with 14 Indian players. This gives them room for three more signings under the 25-player limit, but they also have to stay within their budget cap.
Financially, the franchise is stretched thin. RR have only 30,000 rupees in their purse, while Curran’s is worth Rs 2.4 billion. To complete the trade, the team would have to release at least one overseas player with a higher price tag.
According to the report, Royals are likely to offload their Sri Lankan duo of Wanindu Hasaranga (Rs 5.25 crore) and Maheesh Theekshana (Rs 4.40 crore), which would free up both funds and an overseas slot. However, such moves are not expected to be finalized until after November 15, when the IPL teams officially announce their list of retained and released players.
A source quoted by Cricbuzz said the deal is still alive but admitted there is still a small risk of it falling through. “Possible but unlikely,” the source said. “It’s hard to imagine any of the franchises giving up now given how far the discussions have progressed.”
With the retention deadline approaching, the onus is now to make the required adjustments on the Rajasthan Royals if they are serious about bringing Jadeja on board. Once their overseas and financial hurdles are cleared, the long-awaited Jadeja-Samson deal could finally move forward.
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Issued by:
Amar Panicker
Published on:
November 12, 2025
