Ravindra Jadeja Opens Up on Emotional Reunion with CSK, Missed Chance to Speak to MS Dhoni
In an emotional IPL 2026 encounter in Guwahati, veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja reunited with his former franchise, the Chennai Super Kings, but the occasion carried mixed feelings as his Rajasthan Royals side comfortably won by eight wickets. Despite his impressive bowling performance against CSK, Jadeja revealed he could not reconnect with his former India and CSK captain MS Dhoni before the match.
Jadeja, who played 200 matches for CSK and established himself as one of the franchise’s most successful spinners, joined RR ahead of the IPL 2026 season in a trade deal last December. Speaking to broadcasters after the game, Jadeja explained the missed conversation with Dhoni:
“Baat nahi hui, kyunki Mahi bhai phone band hi rakhte hain (Did not speak with Mahi bhai as he keeps his phone off). Baat nahi hui, par jab bhi main milunga Mahi bhai se toh khoob saari baatein karunga (I couldn’t speak but will do a lot when I meet Mahi bhai).”
Reflecting on his return to his boyhood franchise, Jadeja shared how meaningful it was to don the pink of Rajasthan Royals. “I’m liking the pink colour. The yellow had started to feel a bit old, but I’m just joking. Leaving a franchise like CSK, where I had played for 12–13 years, was a little difficult initially. It was very emotional,” he said.
He added that joining RR was not just a change of team but also a return to where his IPL journey began. “The good thing was that I’m now with the team where I had first won an IPL title. That memory has always stayed with me—that after the Under-19 World Cup, I started my IPL career there and won the title in my very first season. I have carried those memories along with a positive mindset, and my aim is to learn as much as I can with the new group and also share my experience with the team,” Jadeja said in an interview with Jio Hotstar.
The Saurashtra all-rounder previously played for RR in 2008 and 2009, scoring 430 runs and picking up six wickets across the two seasons. His return this season marks both a professional and sentimental chapter, blending the excitement of a new journey with the nostalgia of beginnings.
Jadeja’s comments highlight the emotional depth behind IPL transfers, where players navigate professional decisions alongside long-standing personal bonds, such as the one he shares with Dhoni and his former CSK teammates.
