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IPL 2026 Trade: Teams That Could Target Yashasvi Jaiswal By Offering Him Captaincy

Anurag Dasgupta

Teams where Jaiswal can go [Source: @iplt20.com] Teams where Jaiswal can go [Source: @iplt20.com]

The buzz for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 has already started despite the next season being 8 months away. The IPL trade window has opened, and it has allowed all ten teams to strengthen their squad by doing trade deals with other franchises, until one week before the next mini auction takes place.

One of the IPL teams that is in the limelight at the moment is the Rajasthan Royals. There are rumours that their skipper, Sanju Samson, could be traded to the Chennai Super Kings ahead of the next season. 

Also, there are reports that star RR opener, Yashasvi Jaiswal, is unhappy with the management ever since the captaincy armband was given to Riyan Parag, as Samson was injured for the majority of the last season. Rumours circulated that Jaiswal is interested in captaining an IPL team. Here are 3 teams where he could be traded if they offer him a chance to lead their team.

1) Delhi Capitals

  • Delhi Capitals had a topsy-turvy IPL 2025 campaign as they started off by winning four games on a trot but failed to qualify for the playoffs as they finished fifth in the table. The side had two major issues last season - opening slot and captaincy.
  • DC tried numerous opening combinations throughout the tournament, but none of them worked as it brought pressure on the middle-order batters. Bringing in Jaiswal in a trade deal will solve that issue for the Capitals, as they need an aggressive opener at the top.
  • Also, Axar Patel's captaincy was uninspiring, and he failed tactically as a leader. Jaiswal will bring in fresh ideas and fresh energy and DC could play a punt by doinbg a trade deal as Jaiswal will solve two of their biggest issues.

2) Kolkata Knight Riders

  • For some reason, the Kolkata Knight Riders made a huge blunder by releasing Shreyas Iyer and replacing him with Ajinkya Rahane as the captain of the team.
  • The move failed miserably as the KKR captain failed to deliver the goods, and his team couldn't reach the next round. Also, their openers, Sunil Narine and Quinton de Kock, were not up to the mark, and KKR lost most of the matches due to their weak top order. De Kock scored just 152 runs in the IPL 2025 season, and Jaiswal (559 runs) will be an upgrade over them.
  • Trading Jaiswal (exchanging player or cash deal), could solve the two major flaws in the KKR setup. He is young and energetic, and perhaps KKR needs new ideas if they are to move forward in the quest to bag another IPL title.

3) Lucknow Super Giants

  • Sanjiv Goenka, the LSG owner, paid a whopping 27 crores to buy Rishabh Pant and made him his captain. However, the move failed as Pant couldn't handle the captaincy pressure and crumbled under it. The result - LSG couldn't reach the playoffs, and their skipper ended the season with 269 runs.
  • Jaiswal, on the other hand, is known for thriving under pressure and has done it numerous times in international cricket. He can come in to bat at the top, with one of Mitch Marsh or Aiden Markram dropping down to number 3. Plus, Pant's best comes when he is not a leader, and hence, the captaincy armband could be given to Jaiswal with Pant playing as a pure batter.