The 2026 IPL pre-season trade window was marked by numerous swap deals and signings. A total of 10 players were either transferred for cash only or swapped with other players in the prior to the start of the 2026 season- the highest in the tournament’s history.
Among all the teams, Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals made the most trades with three each. Mumbai Indians signed Shardul Thakur from Lucknow Super Giants, West Indian Sherfane Rutherford from Gujarat Titans, and Mayank Markande from Kolkata Knight Riders.
But the biggest talking point and perhaps the biggest ever trade deal in IPL history was Sanju Samson’s move from Rajasthan Royals to Chennai Super Kings, after having represented the Royals for over a decade and captaining the franchise from 2021 to 2025.
Ravindra Jadeja, part of the swap deal with Samson, returned to Rajasthan Royals for the first time since 2009, along with English all-rounder Sam Curran from Chennai Super Kings. The Royals also traded in Donovan Ferreira from Delhi Capitals, with Nitish Rana going in the other direction.
List of all completed trade deals ahead of the 2026 IPL season
Player From To Notes Sanju Samson RR CSK Swap deal with Jadeja and Curran; sum of INR 18 crore Ravindra Jadeja CSK RR Swap deal with Samson; sum of INR 14 crore Sam Curran CSK RR Part of swap deal with Samson; sum of INR 2.4 crore Mohammed Shami SRH LSG Sum of INR 10 crore Shardul Thakur LSG MI Sum of INR 2 crore Sherfane Rutherford GT MI Sum of INR 2.6 crore Nitish Rana RR DC Swap deal with Ferreira; sum of INR 4.2 crore Donovan Ferreira DC RR Swap deal with Rana; sum of INR 1 crore Mayank Markande KKR MI Sum of INR 30 lakh Arjun Tendulkar MI LSG Sum of INR 30 lakh
Published on Mar 24, 2026