IPL Trade Window 2026: Nitish Rana moves to Delhi Capitals, Mayank Markande returns to Mumbai Indians, and Donovan Ferreira joins Rajasthan Royals, reshaping key squads ahead of the season. (Image Credit: X/SportsClaus,CricketGully)
Already, the IPL 2026 trade window is delivering sparks, with three big deals set to reshape the squads of Delhi Capitals, Mumbai Indians, and Rajasthan Royals. Let's dive into what is going on, why it matters, and how these trades might impact next season.
Delhi Capitals are trading middle-order batter Nitish Rana from Rajasthan Royals, continuing at the same contract price of ₹4.2 crore. He was originally signed by RR for that fee ahead of IPL 2025.
For Delhi, Rana is a precious addition as he has experience and is a handy batter under pressure, lending stability to their top middle order. Considering that DC generally had an inconsistent middle-order in the past couple of seasons, Rana may provide just the piece they are looking for to build an even reliable core of batsmen.
The move might be a change of strategy for Rajasthan, too. Rana's exit frees up resources and perhaps indicates a desire to rebalance their batting mix or invest in other areas.
Uncapped leg-spinner Mayank Markande will return to Mumbai Indians after being traded from Kolkata Knight Riders. He's coming back at his same price -- ₹30 lakh, his cost at the IPL 2025 auction.
Markande's IPL career started with MI in 2018, and this homecoming could be more than just about nostalgia. For the Mumbai Indians, strengthening their spin department with a leg-spinner who is known to the franchise makes much sense. The competition for spots will be stronger with other spinners already in their squad.
For Markande, this is an opportunity to hit the reset button: He struggled to impress in recent stints and has played 37 IPL matches, with 37 wickets so far. Getting back into MI's setup could give him more game-time and a platform to revive his career.
The third is Donovan Ferreira, moving from Delhi Capitals to Rajasthan Royals. The deal is at ₹1 crore, up from his previous ₹75 lakh.
Ferreira is an exciting South African batter who plays big shots and finishes games. He offers RR a flexible batting option, particularly in the lower middle order-somebody who can steady it if needed and accelerate depending upon the situation. Letting Ferreira go might be a calculated risk for Delhi: they free up space in their roster and purse and might believe they have enough batting firepower or other options to fill his role.
