IPL 2026: Ravindra Jadeja's move to RR surprised Anil Kumble

"Ravindra Jadeja returning to Rajasthan Royals is a big move. Generally, CSK doesn't let go of their players, especially someone of Jadeja's quality who has had a long relationship with them. I was surprised they let him go. Meanwhile, Sanju Samson coming to CSK is certainly a great move for them," said JioStar expert Kumble.

Further speaking, the former cricketer questioned if the Royals would offer the captaincy to Jadeja despite having several options such as Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag, Sam Curran and Dhruv Jurel.

"The big question is about captaincy - could Rajasthan offer it to Jadeja? They need to find a new captain. They have several options - Riyan Parag led them in a couple of matches last season, Yashasvi Jaiswal has always harbored captaincy dreams, young Dhruv Jurel has the right temperament, and there's overseas option Sam Curran. So Ravindra Jadeja becomes another interesting possibility for their leadership role," added the 55-year-old former cricketer.

Ahead of the IPL 2026 mini-auction, five-time champions CSK and one-time winners RR were involved in a hot trade. Former RR captain Sanju Samson headed to the Super Kings in exchange for all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran.

Samson, who led the Royals from 2021 to 2025, was traded to CSK for INR 18 crore, whereas Jadeja and Curran moved to RR for INR 14 crore and INR 2.4 crore, respectively.

Interestingly, Jadeja, who CSK previously retained for INR 18 crore in IPL 2025, will receive a revised fee with RR in the upcoming IPL season.

Overall, the left-hander has featured in 27 IPL matches for Rajasthan Royals. He also has six wickets and has scored 430 runs for the franchise.

Currently, Jadeja is busy featuring in the ongoing Test series against South Africa. With Team India losing the first match, the second game will begin on November 22 in Guwahati.

(With ANI Inputs)