New Delhi: Rajasthan Royals (RR) all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja won the hearts of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) fans with a heartwarming moment following his side’s 8-wicket victory against the five-time champions in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 on Monday. Jadeja played a key role with the ball as RR hammered CSK at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati to get off to a winning start in the tournament.
It was an emotional night for Jadeja, who found support from the fans of both teams in the stadium during the game. The star all-rounder was spotted having a chat with some of his former CSK teammates after the game and went on to kiss his former team’s crest, a moment that went viral on social media.
Jadeja was seen having a playful exchange with Khaleel Ahmed when the all-rounder leaned over to kiss the CSK badge on the pacer’s jersey. The all-rounder’s emotional gesture melted hearts on social media. Jadeja, who played for CSK for 12 seasons from 2012 to 2025, was traded to RR ahead of the ongoing IPL 2026.
Ravindra Jadeja kisses CSK badge on IPL reunion:
The best moment of tonight’s match was, when Jaddu kissed CSK logo on khaleel ahmad’s chest while having a conversation with khaleel. Jaddu still love and respect CSK🥺💛 pic.twitter.com/RDASHgg70e
— seema. (@moviemaniacs_7) March 30, 2026
Jadeja shines, but Samson flops on reunion
It was a reunion for both Jadeja and Samson, who exchanged teams after being traded from CSK and RR, respectively. Samson joined CSK in exchange for Jadeja and England all-rounder Sam Curran. While Jadeja starred with the ball to contribute to RR’s victory, Samson endured a forgetful outing with the bat on his RR reunion and was dismissed cheaply on 6 off 7 balls as CSK suffered a terrible batting collapse.
Jadeja was introduced into the attack in the 8th over of CSK’s innings in Guwahati after RR pacers ran riot to reduce the visitors in tatters. The all-rounder dismissed Sarfaraz Khan and Shivam Dube in the same over to pile more misery on his former team. CSK were eventually bowled out for 127 runs after their stunning batting collapse.
Rajasthan Royals rode on Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s quickfire 15-ball fifty to chase down the target of 128 runs in just 12.1 overs to record an emphatic victory and begin their campaign on a high. CSK will now take on Punjab Kings in their next game on April 03, while RR will play against Gujarat Titans in their next game in Ahmedabad on April 04.