In preparation for the 2026 edition of the Indian Premier League, several franchises have finalised significant trades ahead of the retention deadline. According to the official IPL announcement, the moves reflect strategic overhauls by teams as they refine their squads for the upcoming season.

Notable transfers include Ravindra Jadeja moving from the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to the Rajasthan Royals (RR) with his league fee adjusted from ₹18 crore to ₹14 crore. Meanwhile, Sanju Samson shifts from RR to CSK at his existing ₹18 crore fee.

Other key trades: Sam Curran (England all-rounder) moves from CSK to RR at ₹2.4 crore; Mohd Shami joins the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) from the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) retaining his previous contract; Mayank Markande returns to the Mumbai Indians (MI) from the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR); and Arjun Tendulkar moves from MI to LSG at ₹30 lakh.

Also of note: Nitish Rana shifts to the Delhi Capitals (DC) from RR (fee ₹4.2 crore), and Donovan Ferreira returns to RR from DC with his fee raised from ₹75 lakh to ₹1 crore.

These trades show teams actively repositioning players ahead of the auction and retention phase, aiming to balance star power, budgets and strategic fit. The reshuffle signals intensified competition and dynamic team-building for IPL 2026.
If you’d like, I can also pull together the full list of all trades, releases and retentions for IPL 2026 for you.