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Inspired by Ravindra Jadeja, Akeal Hosein earns CSK dream at IPL 2026 auction

Aakash Saini

Akeal Hosein and Ravindra Jadeja [Source: @CricCrazyJohns, @AHosein21/x]Akeal Hosein and Ravindra Jadeja [Source: @CricCrazyJohns, @AHosein21/x]

West Indies spinner and all-round apparent Akeal Hosein has been roped in by the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) franchise at the IPL 2026 auction. The 32-year-old was acquired by CSK for a sum of Rs. 2 crores, as the franchise attempts to find a replacement for legendary all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, considering the latter was recently traded to Rajasthan Royals.

In a moment that felt years in the making, Hosein himself was once inspired by Jadeja, at a time when he was only 20 years old and had just made his first-class debut in West Indies domestic cricket.

Akeal Hosein on his way in “becoming like Ravindra Jadeja”

A few months after the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy, where Ravindra Jadeja won the “Golden Ball” for picking up the highest number of wickets, a then 20-year-old Akeal Hosein shared a picture of the legendary Indian all-rounder on his Twitter (now X) feed.

In the caption, an aspiring Hosein wrote:

“One day... I'd like to become a player like him...”

More than 12 years later, Akeal Hosein now finds himself stepping into the very role once defined by his idol, joining the franchise Ravindra Jadeja helped shape into an IPL powerhouse.

Moreover, even CSK franchise took note of the tweet shortly after the cricketer’s acquisition for IPL 2026. Responding to Akeal Hosein, the CSK social media handle wrote:

“Let's make it happen.”

The response neatly encapsulated the symmetry of Akeal Hosein’s ambitious T20 journey, turning a long-held aspiration into a tangible reality on the IPL stage.

Akeal Hosein already has an established career as he makes his way to the CSK franchise. Apart from being a white-ball regular for West Indies, the cunning left-arm spinner is a veteran of over 250 T20 matches, including 87 internationals. He has picked up 237 wickets in his career at an average of 25.02.

Akeal Hosein’s T20 resume also spans several leagues across the globe, including appearances in CPL, The Hundred, MLC, PSL, ILT20 and BBL. However, he has played just a solitary IPL match so far, doing so for the SRH back in 2023, thus marking his impending CSK stint his second coming to India’s elite T20 league.