Did Jadeja’s captaincy dream trigger CSK’s exit?

The aspiration to captain Rajasthan Royals was one of the reasons behind star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja leaving Chennai Super Kings, sources told CricBlogger. It is learnt that Jadeja had spoken to close associates about his desire to one day lead Rajasthan, but that ambition had to be shelved as Riyan Parag emerged as the franchise’s top choice for the captaincy.

Earlier, CricBlogger had reported that MS Dhoni was against the move to let Ravindra Jadeja leave Chennai Super Kings. Sources said the former India captain was also unhappy with the franchise for not fully informing him about the trade arrangement between CSK and Rajasthan Royals involving a swap of Sanju Samson and Jadeja.

Sources now say that once the CSK management learnt about Jadeja’s captaincy aspirations, they agreed to let him return to his original franchise, where he began his IPL journey under the late Shane Warne, who was then Rajasthan’s mentor-player. However, Jadeja’s departure has certainly left a dent in CSK’s plans as the franchise looks to mount a strong push for a sixth IPL title.

Jadeja, who captained CSK briefly in the 2022 season before stepping down amid heavy interference, played a pivotal role in the franchise winning its fifth IPL title in 2023, when CSK defeated Gujarat Titans in the final.

“So not having a player of Ravindra Jadeja’s quality is certainly a major loss for the franchise,” the source said, adding that if not for his ambition to become captain, there was little reason for Jadeja to leave CSK for Rajasthan in what appeared to be a low-value deal.