Kumar Sangakkara returned as the RR boss ahead of their 2026 season, and the Sri Lankan great has opined that the greatest trades are those in which teams walk off happy and unhappy at the same time.
The Rajasthan Royals finished in the second last position on the IPL points table last season. Following another poor season in the IPL, the Royals had to make some forced changes to the XI, sometimes even if they didn’t wish to see those players leave.
Former Lankan great and current RR boss Kumar Sangakkara revealed that the best of trades are when both parties walk out with some amount of happiness and some unhappiness as well. He intended that the same happen in the historic trade between CSK and the Rajasthan Royals.
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The best trade is where both sides are happy, but also slightly unhappy – Kumar Sangakkara
Chennai Super Kings badly wanted a decorated wicket keeper in order to secure their future after MS Dhoni’s retirement. They desperately wanted Sanju Samson and were ready to bear any cost for the same.
The trade finally happened, and Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran were traded from CSK in exchange for the RR top-order batter and wicket-keeper. But Samson had not then won a World Cup for India.
“The best trade is where both sides are happy, but also slightly unhappy. That is a great trade,” Kumar Sangakkara said as quoted by Cricbuzz.
However, Kumar Sangakkara added that neither did they get the best of players in exchange, nor was Samson the best find for the Chennai Super Kings, citing his age and CSK’s long-term plans don’t blend well together.
“For them [CSK] they wanted the next generation leader, ‘keeper and a wonderful bat. So I think both sides have walked away unhappy. That means it was a good trade for both sides,” he concluded with a smile.
Kumar Sangakkara revealed that the Donovan Ferreira trade was a tactical adjustment
Rajasthan Royals swapped in a massive T20 all-rounder in South African Donovan Ferreira in trade with the Delhi Capitals. The Capitals instead wanted Nitish Rana to strengthen their spin-hitting ability through the middle phases.
“We had a middle order issue in terms of how we kept the tempo going and how we stayed ahead of the game and how we have to be a little bit smarter in the way we approach spin and that scoring time through the middle,” claimed Kumar Sangakkara.
“We had to improve a little bit at the depth as well, so we had to do trades. We had to trade Nitish Rana. It is difficult to trade – a very good Indian player, but we were left with no choice.
“We had to have that death hitting ability. So we have Donovan now, we have Shanaka coming in as also to bolster that back order if needed,” he added.
“To be very honest, we were extremely sad to see Sanju go,” Sangakkara admitted
Having lost their premier batter and playing under a new skipper, Riyan Parag, what would be the Royals’ chances for a bounce-back? Sangakkara reveals that they were never happy with Samson leaving.
“To be very honest, we were extremely sad to see Sanju go,” Sangakkara admitted. “He has been an incredible player for us, leader, captain, I have got to know him very closely over the last few years, but it was inevitable that that was going to happen.
However, the coach revealed that they have got two very good players as replacements.
“I thought we got two very very good players; one an incredible legend of the game in Jaddu, and Sam Curran [the other], who has matured a lot. They balance out our squad really well. Unfortunately Sam had to pull out because of injury,” he concluded.
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