Good, bad or average: Rating IPL 2026 pre-auction trades ft. Sanju Samson, Ravindra Jadeja

Samson and Jadeja were swapped through an IPL trade [Source: AFP]

The Indian Premier League (IPL) player auction is one of the most exciting times in the cricket calendar. Fans from all around the world are eager to see their favourite players go under the hammer.

The IPL player retention is somewhat similar as teams get ready for the auction action. A lot of permutations and combinations go into player retention. Team management has to make some very difficult decisions, thinking about the long-term welfare of their respective franchises.

Earlier, player trades were not the norm in the IPL, but in the last few seasons, teams have started to get involved in player trades more and more.

All teams have now announced their retentions for IPL 2026 ahead of the mini auction in December 2025. Some of the big names have changed their franchises after representing them for so long, while there have been a few very surprising player releases and trades.

We'll talk about all the player trades that happened ahead of the IPL 2026 auction and see if the teams had a good trade or if they messed up.

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1. Sanju Samson to CSK

(Sanju Samson in IPL)

Chennai Super Kings traded in Sanju Samson from the Rajasthan Royals for INR 18 crores. Sanju Samson has been one of the top batters in the league in the last few seasons, and since CSK is looking for a total overhaul, this is a great move.

Sanju can bat pretty much anywhere and keep the wickets as well. He's been a captain in the league for quite some time now. There's no doubt that trading in Sanju Samson is a great move by CSK.

Verdict: Good Trade

2. Ravindra Jadeja to RR

• Ravindra Jadeja in IPL: 3260 runs and 170 wickets in 225 matches

Ravindra Jadeja is amongst the best all-rounders in the IPL and solves plenty of problems for the Royals. He can do the finishing duties and bowl four overs, is arguably the best fielder in world cricket right now, and there are rumours that the RR management may appoint him as the captain of the side. And to add to all this, the Rajasthan Royals got him for INR 14 crores.

Verdict: Good Trade

3. Sam Curran to RR

• Sam Curran in T20s (since 2024): 1987 runs at an average of 33.70 and a strike rate of 142 and 86 wickets in 78 matches.

Sam Curran is another top trade from Rajasthan Royals. They got him for INR 2.40 crores. Curran, just like Jadeja, fits in the RR setup. They let go of Nitish Rana, which means the English all-rounder can bat at number 3, where he's been performing consistently in the last 10-12 months.

He provides a left-hand option at the top, can bowl four overs, and is a good fielder - a complete package and is quite young too.

Verdict: Very good trade

Mohammed Shami to LSG

Mohammed Shami during IPL 2025 (Source: @HitmanCricket/X)

Veteran Indian pacer Mohammed Shami has been traded to the Lucknow Super Giants from the Sunrisers Hyderabad for INR 10 crores. This would've been a good move if LSG had gotten Shami for around INR 5-7 crores.

Shami hasn't been in the best of form lately; he's struggling with his fitness, and age is also not on his side. 

He picked up 28 wickets in 17 matches in 2023 and missed the 2024 season due to injury. He played only 9 matches in the 2025 season, where he picked up only 6 wickets at an economy of 9.04.

Verdict: Bad trade

Mayank Markande to MI

• Mayank Markande in IPL: 37 wickets in 37 matches at an economy of 8.91

Mayank Markande made his IPL debut for MI back in 2018, and now he's back to his former franchise for IPL 2026. He was traded in from the Kolkata Knight Riders for INR 30 lakhs.

Mumbai Indians are desperately looking for a good domestic spin option, and Markande is worth the punt despite his career not panning out the way he would've liked.

Verdict: Good Trade

Arjun Tendulkar to Lucknow Super Giants

Lucknow Super Giants traded Arjun Tendulkar for INR 30 lakhs from the Mumbai Indians. The left-arm pace all-rounder hasn't gotten a lot of opportunities to prove himself in the IPL, but his skill set is surely useful for any franchise. Arjun is young, and LSG can groom him to be a valuable asset for them.

Verdict: Decent Trade

Nitish Rana to DC

(Nitish Rana's IPL stats)

Delhi Capitals traded in Nitish Rana from the Rajasthan Royals for INR 4.20 crores. This trade would've been perfect had they gotten him for a little lesser price, but overall, it's a decent one considering Delhi's need for an experienced top-order batter.

Rana's form in the IPL hasn't been up to the mark lately, but we've seen what he can do when on song.

Verdict: Average trade

Donovan Ferreira to Rajasthan Royals

• Donovan Ferreira in T20s (2025): 593 runs at an average of 34.90 at a strike rate of 197 and 9 wickets at an economy of 7.52 in 24 matches.

Donovan Ferreira to the Rajasthan Royals from the Delhi Capitals for just INR 1 crore is one of the best trades ahead of IPL 2026. Ferreira has been in red-hot form and is a true asset for any franchise.

He can tonk the ball hard, is a gun fielder, and can also bowl a few overs anytime. It's safe to say that Ferreira is a steal trade from the Royals, especially at a price tag of just INR 1 crore.

Verdict: Great Trade

So these were all the trades that happened ahead of the IPL 2026 mini auction. Most of the teams got good trade(s). The IPL 2025 trading window is open till the auction, and it’ll be interesting to see if there are any more trades till then.

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