The Rajasthan Royals have traded India batsman Robin Uthappa to the Chennai Super Kings in an all-cash deal. The trade was confirmed a day after the franchises announced their list of retentions ahead of the February auction for IPL 2021.

Uthappa only played the 2020 edition for the Royals, having been bought for INR 3 crore in December 2019. He featured in 12 games last season in the UAE but failed to cement a secured batting position. He aggregated just 196 runs and went without a half-century.

Uthappa's move to the Super Kings could bolster their top order in the absence of the retired Shane Watson. On Wednesday, they announced their decision to release India opener M Vijay.

"We'd like to thank Robbie for his contribution during his time with us," Royals' COO Jake Lush McCrum said in a statement. "He provided significant value building into the season in our camps in Guwahati and Nagpur, and his speech during our World Cup winners session during the season was one of the most powerful we have heard.

"We do have depth with regards to openers in our squad, therefore when the offer came from CSK, we thought it was a good opportunity for all parties involved. We'd like to wish Robbie all the best for this season at CSK and his future beyond that."

Uthappa most-recently featured in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy, where he made 161 runs in five innings for Kerala, including a match-winning 54-ball 91 that helped them pull off an incredible chase of 213 against Delhi last week.

The Super Kings will be the sixth franchise Uthappa will represent. He has played for the Mumbai Indians (2008), the Royal Challengers Bangalore (2009-10), the Pune Warriors (2011-13), the Kolkata Knight Riders (2014-19), and the Royals (2020).