After the cold knock of the hammer deciding a player's fate, comes the warm embrace when they're welcomed into the inner circles of their new homes for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season.
While franchises reshuffle the pack almost every season, this year is set to witness a ‘homecoming' for five icons who are returning back to their roots.
The Rockstar Returns: Ravindra Jadeja (RR)
After 12 seasons in Chennai, where he won three IPL titles, Ravindra Jadeja is back to where it all began. The "Rockstar" of the inaugural 2008 title-winning squad, as described by the legend Shane Warne himself, is now back in the Rajasthan pink.
In a rare act of sentiment over salary, Jadeja even accepted a Rs 4 crore pay cut from his Rs 18 crore contract with CSK, in order to facilitate the move to RR. Four-time IPL winner Jadeja, was part of the RR squad when they lifted the title in the inaugural edition. His return marks a full-circle journey for the ‘Rockstar', who returns to the desert where he first burst onto the big stage.
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The Adopted Son: Sanju Samson (CSK)
Sanju Samson was treated like a deity at Chepauk during India's recent T20 World Cup win, with a deafening roar going up in the stadium when his name was announced in the Playing XI. With no Kerala-based IPL team, CSK is effectively Samson's ‘Regional Home' and the wicket-keeper batter will no doubt embrace his role as the city's ‘Adopted Son' after spending over a decade with Rajasthan Royals.
Fresh from being named Player of the Tournament at the T20 World Cup, Samson joins CSK in what many believe are MS Dhoni's final seasons. At Chepauk, under MS Dhoni's mentorship, it may just be the perfect succession plan for the five-time champions.
The Wankhede's Own: Shardul Thakur (MI)
The ‘Palghar Express' will finally make its long-awaited halt at the Wankhede Stadium as Shardul Thakur dons the Mumbai Indians blue for the first time in the upcoming season. As a teenager, Thakur was known to travel 87 km from Palghar to Mumbai daily by the local train to practice.
Now, the player who captained Mumbai in the recent Ranji Trophy will finally ply his trade in front of an adoring home crowd. Having been traded by Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) to MI, Shardul fills the massive void for a domestic seam-bowling all-rounder that MI have struggled to fill in recent seasons.
The Kotla King: Nitish Rana (DC)
Nitish Rana's journey comes full circle as he arrives at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. After years as a middle-order pillar for KKR, the Delhi boy returns to the Capitals.
Having dominated the recent Delhi Premier League, leading ‘West Delhi Riders to the title with standout knocks, including an unbeaten century (134*) in Qualifier 1, Rana seems ready to make up for lost time. Following a lean couple of years in the IPL, Rana will be keen to rediscover his mojo and there's no better place than home to find that.
The Sultan of Swing: Mohammed Shami (LSG)
Finally, the 'Sultan of Swing' will ply his trade in front of his home fans in Lucknow. After a nomadic IPL career, Mohammed Shami will represent his home state of Uttar Pradesh in the IPL for the first time, bringing his lethal seam movement to the Ekana Stadium.
The seamer who won the 2023 Purple Cap (28 wickets) and the IPL title with Gujarat Titans in 2022, has over 133 IPL wickets to his name. The 35-year-old endured a disappointing IPL 2025 with SRH, picking just six wickets in nine matches, but he'll be hoping to once again scale the heights he previously reached when he turns up for his home state.
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