Rs 4 crore pay cut! Why Jadeja chose RR over a bigger CSK pay cheque

His return to the franchise that first dubbed him Rockstar marks a full-circle moment - but it also raises a key question: why would one of the IPL's top all-rounders accept a reduced salary now?

Ravindra Jadeja has never been the kind of cricketer defined by numbers on a contract. Yet, his move from Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to Rajasthan Royals (RR) ahead of IPL 2026 has created a stir across the league — not only because he leaves behind a 12-season legacy in yellow, but because he takes a ₹4 crore pay cut to do so.

 

Jadeja, who earned ₹18 crore per season at CSK after the IPL 2025 auction, will now earn ₹14 crore per year at Rajasthan Royals following a negotiated trade. The IPL confirmed the reduction, stating that the revised fee was part of the trade agreement between both franchises.

 

 

His shift back to the franchise that gave him the nickname Rockstar in 2008 marks a full-circle moment — but the pay cut raises an important question: Why would one of the IPL’s greatest all-rounders accept less money now?

 

A career at the crossroads: Why Jadeja agreed to a lower salary

 

There are several cricketing and commercial factors behind Jadeja’s reduced earnings.

 

1. The twilight phase of a storied T20 career

 

Jadeja has already retired from T20 Internationals after India’s 2024 T20 World Cup triumph. With fewer T20 games on his calendar going forward — and his primary commitment now being Test cricket — his overall brand and match workload in the shortest format naturally decline. This tends to soften market value, especially for players over 35.

 

2. Limited big-impact seasons with the bat in recent years

 

Although Jadeja’s utility remains high, his T20 batting returns have fluctuated. His IPL batting average since 2022 has hovered between 19 and 33, with five fifties across his entire 17-season IPL career. In the modern-day T20 cricket, the high strike rate lower down the order is the parameter to rate a player.

 

Jadeja’s IPL batting trends (recent seasons):

• 2025 (CSK): 301 runs, Avg 33.44, SR 135.59
• 2024 (CSK): 267 runs, Avg 44.50, SR 142.78
• 2023 (CSK): 190 runs, Avg 23.75, SR 142.86

His overall IPL career strike rate of 130.24 and batting average of 27.86 place him in the dependable-allrounder category.  Check IPL 2026 retentions live updates here

 

3. Bowling workload and wickets trending downward

 

Jadeja’s left-arm spin was once central to CSK’s plans, but his wicket tallies in the last two seasons declined.

 

Recent bowling form:

• 2024: 8 wickets, Avg 46.13
• 2025: 10 wickets, Avg 32.40 

His best IPL bowling years came earlier — 20 wickets in 2023 and 19 wickets in 2014 — but recent numbers reflect a role more suited to containing than attacking.

 

4. A role change: From core CSK pillar to strategic RR all-rounder

 

At CSK, Jadeja was a franchise pillar — a player with legacy pricing. At RR, he enters a fresh setup with a role that is impactful but not franchise-defining. The recalculated salary reflects this shift.

 

5. Personal and professional alignment

 

Reports suggest Jadeja and MS Dhoni mutually agreed the move was in the “best interest of everyone.”

Rajasthan provides Jadeja a return to his roots — the very franchise where he first emerged under Shane Warne and earned his persona as the Rockstar. The emotional and leadership value of that environment may have influenced his acceptance of a revised fee.

 

Jadeja at RR: What the Royals gain

 

Though his price tag has dropped, Jadeja’s value remains enormous:

 

A dependable T20 batter

 

With 3260 IPL runs, a strike rate of 130+, and clutch finishes in 2020, 2021 and 2023, Jadeja remains one of the best lower-middle-order stabilisers.

 

A high-impact bowler on spin-friendly surfaces

 

Across 254 IPL matches, Jadeja has taken 170 wickets at an economy of 7.67 — elite numbers for a spinner operating in pressure overs.

 

Elite fielding

 

With 109 catches, Jadeja is among the league’s top fielders — a department where RR have historically invested heavily.

 

This mix of skills makes him invaluable even at ₹14 crore.

 

An emotional homecoming — and a new chapter

 

Jadeja first wore RR colours in 2008 and 2009, winning the inaugural IPL under Shane Warne’s guidance. Now, 18 years later, he returns as a veteran, a multiple-time champion and one of the IPL’s most complete all-rounders.

 

His last-ball heroics in the 2023 final for CSK are still part of IPL folklore. But RR now hope his experience, calmness and versatility will provide the missing championship edge in 2026. 

Ravindra Jadeja batting & fielding stats
Year	Mat	No	Runs	HS	Avg	BF	SR	100	50	4s	6s	CT
Career	254	81	3260	77*	27.86	2503	130.24	0	5	240	117	109
2025	14	5	301	77*	33.44	222	135.59	0	2	25	10	6
2024	14	5	267	57*	44.5	187	142.78	0	1	22	8	6
2023	16	4	190	25*	23.75	133	142.86	0	0	11	9	9
2022	10	4	116	26*	19.33	98	118.37	0	0	6	5	7
2021	16	9	227	62*	75.66	156	145.51	0	1	19	9	13
2020	14	6	232	50	46.4	135	171.85	0	1	22	11	5
2019	16	6	106	31*	35.33	88	120.45	0	0	7	4	9
2018	16	5	89	27*	17.8	74	120.27	0	0	3	4	11
2017	12	6	158	28	39.5	113	139.82	0	0	13	4	2
2016	15	6	191	36*	21.22	178	107.3	0	0	14	4	4
2015	17	5	132	24	18.85	126	104.76	0	0	7	3	13
2014	16	5	146	36*	29.2	110	132.72	0	0	9	5	4
2013	18	6	201	38*	25.12	135	148.88	0	0	17	6	6
2012	19	2	191	48	15.91	151	126.49	0	0	13	9	2
2011	14	3	283	47	31.44	228	124.12	0	0	20	14	1
2009	13	2	295	42	26.81	266	110.9	0	0	21	6	4
2008	14	2	135	36*	19.28	103	131.06	0	0	11	6	7

 

Ravindra Jadeja bowling stats
Year	Mat	Balls	Runs	WKTS	BBM	Ave	Econ	SR	4W	5W
Career	254	4056	5188	170	5/16	30.52	7.67	23.86	3	1
2025	14	227	324	10	2/17	32.4	8.56	22.7	0	0
2024	14	282	369	8	3/18	46.13	7.85	35.25	0	0
2023	16	342	431	20	3/20	21.55	7.56	17.1	0	0
2022	10	198	248	5	3/39	49.6	7.52	39.6	0	0
2021	16	294	346	13	3/13	26.61	7.06	22.61	0	0
2020	14	218	318	6	2/42	53	8.75	36.33	0	0
2019	16	324	343	15	03/09/25	22.86	6.35	21.6	0	0
2018	16	246	303	11	3/18	27.54	7.39	22.36	0	0
2017	12	228	349	5	2/28	69.8	9.18	45.6	0	0
2016	15	241	311	8	2/18	38.87	7.74	30.12	0	0
2015	17	256	330	11	04/11/25	30	7.73	23.27	1	0
2014	16	326	443	19	04/12/25	23.31	8.15	17.15	2	0
2013	18	259	323	13	3/20	24.84	7.48	19.92	0	0
2012	19	210	273	12	5/16	22.75	7.8	17.5	0	1
2011	14	252	305	8	2/25	38.12	7.26	31.5	0	0
2009	13	140	151	6	3/15	25.16	6.47	23.33	0	0
2008	14	13	21	0	0/0	-	9.69	-	0	0