After months of IPL buzz, the focus briefly shifted back to the tournament once again following India’s 2-2 Test series draw with England. The Indian Premier League’s most recent season ended on June 3, when Royal Challengers Bengaluru finally lifted their first-ever title by defeating Punjab Kings. With the mini-auction expected in December and retention deadlines likely a month or two earlier, talk has now turned to player trades and possible big moves.

Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings in Spotlight

Among the hot topics is Rajasthan Royals’ captain Sanju Samson, who is reportedly unhappy with the franchise after a difficult season. Rumors suggest he could move to Chennai Super Kings to replace MS Dhoni as wicketkeeper while also guiding young captain Ruturaj Gaikwad with leadership duties.

Meanwhile, Chennai Super Kings are also assessing whether to retain veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin. Although Ashwin returned to CSK after a decade earlier this year, his performances didn’t make a major impact.

How IPL Player Trades Work

The IPL transfer window opens a month after the season ends—this year, it began on July 3—and stays open until one week before the auction. Like in football, a trade allows a player to move from one team to another, with the new team compensating the former in cash or player exchanges.

In a one-way trade, Team B pays Team A the player’s auction price in cash. Team A’s auction purse increases by that amount, while Team B’s decreases. Wealthier teams can also add extra money to the transfer fee, which doesn’t affect the purse of either side.

In a two-way trade, two teams swap players. If their auction values differ, the difference is settled in cash, with the goal of keeping the amounts as close as possible.

Player Consent and Transfer History

A player must agree to a trade, but the final decision rests with the franchises. For example, Rajasthan Royals could refuse to trade Samson if they want to keep him. Players can receive up to 50% of the transfer fee, though this depends on negotiations.

IPL trades date back to 2009, when Mumbai Indians acquired Shikhar Dhawan from Delhi Daredevils in exchange for Ashish Nehra. More recently, one of the biggest moves saw Hardik Pandya return to Mumbai Indians from Gujarat Titans in late 2023. To make space, MI traded Australian all-rounder Cameron Green to Royal Challengers Bengaluru.