Former India batsman Subramaniam Badrinath has given a strong statement on the return of all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja to Rajasthan Royals (RR) ahead of the IPL 2026 season. Badrinath said the move will help his career after his on-field role was reduced during his final season with Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
During the offseason, Chennai Super Kings traded Jadeja and Sam Curran to Rajasthan Royals in exchange for Sanju Samson. Jadeja will now play for the franchise from where he started his IPL journey. The left-handed batsman signed a contract worth ₹14 crore for the upcoming tournament starting on March 28.
Ravindra Jadeja is going to be a very important player for RR – Subramaniam Badrinath
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Subramaniam Badrinath said that the trade brings Ravindra Jadeja back to his roots. He hopes that the 37-year-old player will take on big responsibilities for his new team.
“He is going to be a very important player for RR this season. It is a case of life coming full circle for Jadeja who started his career with RR. Also, his role with CSK was reduced. But for RR, he will be a finisher, bowl all four overs and become a senior player.”
Ravindra Jadeja returns to Rajasthan Royals after CSK’s troubles
Ravindra Jadeja played his first two IPL seasons for Rajasthan Royals. He was part of the team that won the first title in 2008 under the captaincy of the late Shane Warne. He remained with the franchise until 2009 before moving to Kochi Tuskers Kerala and later Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
Jadeja had a tough season with CSK in 2025. He took only 10 wickets in 14 matches at an average above 32 and an economy rate of 8.56. Their struggles reflect the team’s overall poor performance.
Chennai Super Kings finished at the bottom of the points table for the first time in their history with only four wins from 14 matches.
It’s going to be an important season for Ravindra Jadeja – Subramaniam Badrinath too
Subramaniam Badrinath stressed that the upcoming season is important for the experienced cricketer considering his recent form.
Badrinath said (via the above source), “It’s going to be an important season for Jadeja as well. There’s no certainty on how long he will continue to play, in two or three years. But the pressure is on him to perform for RR.”
In the IPL, Ravindra Jadeja has scored over 3,000 runs in 254 matches and taken 170 wickets. He was a key member of Chennai Super Kings’ title-winning teams in 2018, 2021 and 2023. He also scored the winning runs against Gujarat Titans (GT) in the 2023 final.
After a disappointing season last year, Rajasthan Royals will be aiming for a turnaround. They finished ninth in the points table with only four wins from 14 matches. The Jaipur side will begin their IPL 2026 campaign against Chennai Super Kings on March 30 in Guwahati.
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