One possible trade has rocked fan bases across the league as the IPL trade window has quickly become busiest offseason marketplace out there. Ravindra Jadeja for Sanju Samson – a trade so outlandish most dismissed it as too absurd even for the rumor mill, now appears very much on! The past few days have seen the talks between the Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals turning from silent interest to proper, structured negotiation.
It would make sense on paper for a straight swap since both these players are priced at ₹18 crore each. Rajasthan Royals, though, are not content with numbers on a spreadsheet. They want a player plus one more added into the mix – and their desire is for that extra player to be Dewald Brevis, the batting sensation from South Africa, whom CSK signed up midway last season. Brevis has since emerged as one of the most wanted T20 batsmen globally, at one point attracting an all-time high bid at the SA20 auction. CSK’s sister franchise, Johannesburg Super Kings, was almost at the end of its chase before pulling out at the last second.
Rajasthan’s sticking to Brevis has become the main sticking point. Chennai has made things very clear. Jadeja is up for negotiation, but no way they want to part with Brevis. The franchise believes, parting with just Jadeja alone is a big enough sacrifice already because he is one of the world’s best all-rounders. However, CSK have kept Jadeja in the loop before initiating talks to keep things transparent with the senior player.
The Royals’ management, though, led by Manoj Badale, operating out of Mumbai currently, has been toying with parallel options. Other than CSK, they have also sent feelers to Sunrisers Hyderabad and maintained a dialogue with the likes of Lucknow Super Giants, Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders. Their desire is clear to secure the best value possible, even if the CSK deal drags on.
But Sunrisers Hyderabad doesn’t seem to be interested. With the likes of Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma making up one of the more explosive opening pairs in the IPL, and Ishan Kishan also serving their purposes as a top-order batter, they do not necessarily have to add another top-order batter such as Samson. Sources in the team have also rubbished rumours of swapping Heinrich Klaasen or even Kishan, stating the duo are key to their set-up.
For the moment, it is up to the Rajasthan Royals. They have to weigh letting go of some of their demands against pushing for Brevis, which could also result in the stunning trade falling through. One more move will determine whether this is a headline grabber or a real blockbuster, inches away from being completed.
