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    STUMP VISION                                                      NOVEMBER 28, 2025        |  The Indian Eye 40

                                                                   IPL 2026

            Mega Trades, Captaincy Questions and

                Calls for Reform Before 2026 Auction

             With Ravindra Jadeja’s stunning move to Rajasthan Royals, Sanju Samson’s switch
                  to CSK, questions over captaincy, and veteran players are openly pitching for a

                                           radical overhaul of the tournament’s structure

            OUR BUREAU                                                                                 thinks Gaikwad opening is non-negotiable. “His
                                                                                                       leadership and batting at the top will provide the
            Abu Dhabi
                                                                                                       stability they need.”
               ndian cricket’s most valuable property is enter-                                           He also pointed to CSK’s thin bowling unit
               ing unfamiliar territory. The frenzy triggered by                                       after releasing Matheesha Pathirana, stressing the
            Ithe Jadeja–Samson–Curran trade — the big-                                                 need for reinforcements.
            gest multi-player swap in IPL history — has been                                              “Nathan Ellis becomes crucial. They still
            matched only by the debate surrounding captaincy,                                          need an Indian spinner to replace Jadeja and
            team balance and the very design of the league it-                                         more Indian fast bowlers alongside Khaleel
            self.                                                                                      Ahmed.” With `43.4 crore in the purse and nine
                Former India captain and ex-head coach Anil                                            slots available, CSK are expected to be aggressive
            Kumble captured the mood best when he called                                               at the auction.
            Jadeja’s move “a big surprise,” signalling the start                                          But even these tactical debates were overshad-
            of a rare shake-up involving two of the league’s                                           owed by a larger question thrown into the spot-
            most stable franchises.                                                                    light by another former India cricketer — Robin
                “Generally, CSK doesn’t let go of their play-                                          Uthappa.
            ers, especially someone of Jadeja’s quality,” Kum-                                            In a sharp critique of the IPL’s model, Uthap-
            ble said on JioStar. “I was surprised they let him                                         pa said it was time for the league to scrap its auc-
            go.” His words reflected what many in the cricket-                                         tion system entirely and adopt a year-round trade
            ing world felt: that Chennai Super Kings, a team                                           window and draft system.
            built on continuity, had stepped into a new chapter                                           “You are the leading cricket league in the
            marked by practical rebuilding rather than emo-                                            world. Mature now,” Uthappa said on his You-
            tional loyalty.                                                                            Tube channel. “Stop with the auctions and keep
                The trade itself was seismic. Rajasthan Royals                                         the trade window open throughout the year. Have
            sent long-time skipper Sanju Samson to CSK for                                             a draft and get rid of the auctions. For crying out
            `18 crore. In return, the five-time champions re-                                          loud, get rid of the auctions.”
            leased Ravindra Jadeja (`14 crore) and England                                                He argued that the current model restricts
            all-rounder Sam Curran (`2.4 crore) — a block-                                             team building, prevents fan loyalty, and keeps the
            buster move that immediately raised strategic                                              league stuck in a “start-up mindset” designed for
            questions for both sides.                               Ravindra Jadeja (ANI file photo)   TV drama rather than long-term development.
                For Jadeja, the deal is a homecoming of sorts.                                            “They are not going beyond the entertain-
            The all-rounder played 27 IPL matches for RR                                               ment mindset,” he said. “Even a draft can be
            in the early years, scoring 430 runs and taking six   to a young Indian player will shape their strategy   great TV. You’ll get fans engaging and create
            wickets. But unlike last time, his comeback brings   for years.                            loyalty. It should be like a six-month league.”
            leadership  chatter.  Kumble  openly  floated  the   For CSK, the arrival of Samson is part of a   His proposal — extending IPL to half the year
            possibility of Jadeja becoming RR captain, even   calculated overhaul under Ruturaj Gaikwad. The   — reignited an old debate about cricket calendars,
            though the franchise has multiple internal candi-  2025 season exposed gaps in their top order, and   player workloads and commercial appetite. While
            dates.                                       CSK’s batting fell apart after Gaikwad’s elbow in-  the BCCI is unlikely to overhaul the IPL immedi-
                “Riyan Parag has led them in a couple of   jury. Kumble believes that clarity is essential now   ately, the very fact that such an idea is being se-
            matches, Yashasvi Jaiswal has always harbored   — especially at the top.                   riously floated by a former champion underlines
            captaincy dreams, Dhruv Jurel has the temper-    “My clear advice is that Ruturaj should open   how the league’s expanding scale has created pres-
            ament, and Sam Curran is an overseas option,”   the batting himself,” he said. Gaikwad shifted   sure for innovation.
            Kumble said. “So Jadeja becomes another inter-  to No. 3 last season, while Devon Conway and   The 2026 mini-auction in Abu Dhabi, sched-
            esting possibility.”                         Rachin Ravindra opened. After his injury, the role   uled for December 16, now comes with layers of
                That leadership vacuum is central to RR’s big-  swung between multiple players before 18-year-  subplots:  Jadeja’s  return  to  RR,  Samson’s fresh
            gest headache after moving on from Samson, who   old Ayush Mhatre emerged with 240 runs in seven   start at CSK, Gaikwad’s captaincy evolution, and
            led them from 2021 to 2025. Whether they gamble   games.                                   the possibility of bigger structural debates domi-
            on Jadeja, back Parag’s rising personality, or turn   Despite having Samson and Mhatre, Kumble   nating the off-season.

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