Intriguing IPL Trade Talks: Shami, Curran, and Jaiswal
Rajasthan Royals and Lucknow Super Giants are locked in one of the most intriguing trade negotiations the IPL has seen in years, with Mohammed Shami and Sam Curran at the heart of a multi-player deal that could redraw both squads.
The conversations have been ongoing since early November, with both franchises exploring a package trade rather than a simple one-for-one swap. The players involved have been sounded out, but the paperwork is still on hold. For now, it’s all poised on a knife-edge.
A trade with layers, not headlines
This isn’t a straightforward “big name for big name” move. Manimaran Siddharth, the left-arm spinner currently with Lucknow Super Giants, is understood to be part of the proposed deal and could be heading to Jaipur if the agreement lands.
Siddharth is not the headline act, but he is no throw-in either. The 28-year-old Tamil Nadu spinner, picked up by LSG for INR 75 lakh, has played nine IPL games, all for Lucknow, and taken nine wickets. Among them: the prized scalp of Virat Kohli in 2024, a moment that underlined his ability to handle pressure and big stages.
The structure of the deal, if it goes through, is expected to reflect that complexity. Multiple players. Multiple valuations. And at the centre of it, two high-profile cricketers whose recent IPL journeys have already been shaped by trades.
Curran, Shami and a second reshuffle
Both Mohammed Shami and Sam Curran were moved ahead of the previous season in a flurry of activity that already felt dramatic at the time.
Curran shifted from Chennai Super Kings to Rajasthan Royals in a major exchange that also saw Ravindra Jadeja join the Royals and Sanju Samson move to CSK. It was the kind of blockbuster realignment that usually defines a franchise’s medium-term strategy.
Then came the twist.
Curran did not play a single game for Rajasthan in the last IPL season, citing injury. When he later turned out for his county side in England, the optics were hard to ignore. Royals head coach Kumar Sangakkara did not hide his frustration, publicly questioning the all-rounder’s unavailability for the franchise while he was fit enough to play elsewhere.
That context now hangs over the current talks. CSK had originally acquired Curran for INR 2.4 crore before trading him to Rajasthan at the same price. As part of this new proposed move, he is understood to be seeking a revised fee. That demand, and the financial recalibration it forces, is one of the factors slowing the negotiations.
On the field, though, Curran’s stock remains strong. He has been in good touch in T20 cricket and brings the all-round package every franchise covets: power hitting, death-overs nous, and flexibility across roles. He also shares a close working relationship with Tom Moody, LSG’s Director of Cricket, having played under him at Oval Invincibles and Desert Vipers. That familiarity could prove decisive if the deal is pushed over the line.
Shami’s involvement only raises the stakes further. An India pacer of his calibre changes the balance of any XI instantly, and his name in a multi-player trade signals how aggressively both teams are prepared to reshape their cores.
Jaiswal’s name enters the room
As if Shami and Curran weren’t enough, the two franchises have also discussed a potential trade involving Yashasvi Jaiswal.
That is the kind of name that makes the entire league sit up.
At this stage, though, there is no concrete agreement. Talks have taken place, but no handshake, no final call. Rajasthan are believed to have asked for another India pacer as part of any Jaiswal move. That request has not found favour with Lucknow, who are understandably reluctant to part with another frontline Indian quick on top of any Shami involvement.
The mere fact that Jaiswal is being discussed tells you how fluid this trade window has become. An India opener, young, aggressive, and already central to Rajasthan’s batting plans, is not the sort of player a franchise casually places on the table.
Yet the Royals are not without leverage. They are understood to have other options if they do decide to trade Jaiswal, with multiple franchises having expressed interest in the left-hander. That wider market gives Rajasthan room to negotiate hard and walk away if the price is not right.
A window that could reshape two franchises
For now, everything rests on signatures and spreadsheets. The players have been sounded out. The framework of a multi-player deal is in place. Money, roles, and long-term plans are being weighed in back rooms.
If Rajasthan and Lucknow finally agree terms, this won’t be remembered as just another routine shuffle. It will be seen as a defining moment of this trade window: Shami and Curran potentially on the move again, Siddharth stepping into a new role, and the spectre of a Jaiswal trade hovering over it all.
The only question left is how bold these franchises are prepared to be when it’s time to commit.
