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SRH have already been active in trade window as they have secured the services of Khaleel Ahmed and Nathan Ellis in exchange of Liam Livingstone and Jack Edwards
High-profile player swaps dominate an active IPL off-season trade window
Franchises seek targeted swaps to address squad imbalances and fill leadership roles before the upcoming auction
SRH and GT are reportedly exploring a potential trade deal between them
The IPL trade window has turned into the busiest stretch of the off-season, with several of the league’s biggest names in play ahead of the 2027 season and the auction due later this month. Franchises are using the window to fix leadership gaps and squad imbalances before the auction. In recent weeks a lot of the talk has been about swaps rather than releases.
Two deals have dominated the conversation. The first is already done. In June the IPL confirmed that Rishabh Pant would return to Delhi Capitals for INR 15 crore, down from the record INR 27 crore Lucknow Super Giants paid for him, while Kuldeep Yadav moved to Lucknow at his existing INR 13.5 crore.
Lucknow had finished bottom of the table in 2026, and Pant had stepped down as captain before the season ended. The second is the Hardik Pandya–Arshdeep Singh swap between Mumbai Indians and Punjab Kings.
It was reported on Saturday that the swap has been completed, ending Hardik’s second stint at Mumbai, though formal approval was still awaited. Hardik returned to Mumbai ahead of the 2024 season after captaining Gujarat Titans to the 2022 title and took over from Rohit Sharma.
Hardik’s was not the only big move. Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad completed a four-player trade ahead of the IPL 2027 auction. England all-rounder Liam Livingstone moved to Chennai for INR 6 crore. He had struggled for game time at SRH. He goes with Australian all-rounder Jack Edwards. Left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed returned to Hyderabad having played for them between 2018 and 2021. Australian pacer Nathan Ellis, who had an injury-hit spell at Chennai, went with him for INR 2 crore.
Reports also suggested multiple franchises interested in a trade with Rajasthan Royals for Yashasvi Jaiswal. Those talks have since reportedly stalled. His future still draws attention, with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s rise complicating the picture. Rajasthan completed a big trade of their own last year, sending Sanju Samson to Chennai Super Kings for Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran.
Now there is a new name in the mix. Cricinfo says Sunrisers Hyderabad pacer Harshal Patel is moving to Gujarat Titans, with England wicketkeeper-batter Tom Banton going the other way. The deal has not been officially confirmed. Harshal is 35, and until a year ago he was one of the most reliable wicket-takers in the league.
He won the Purple Cap with Punjab Kings in 2024, taking 24 wickets. Sunrisers paid INR 8 crore for him at the 2025 mega auction, and he took 16 wickets in 13 matches that season. He also became the fastest to 150 IPL wickets in terms of balls bowled. SRH retained him for 2026, and with Mohammed Shami gone to Lucknow and Pat Cummins returning from injury, he was expected to lead the attack.
The season did not go that way. Harshal played five matches, bowled about 14 overs, conceded 148 runs and took no wickets. He was dropped for the eliminator against Rajasthan Royals, which Hyderabad lost, and was replaced by debutant Praful Hinge.
For Gujarat, who finished in the top two under Shubman Gill and reached the playoffs, he would add experience in the death overs. Banton, 27, was bought for INR 2 crore at the 2026 mini-auction but never played a game. A finger injury ruled him out in April, and Connor Esterhuizen was brought in as his replacement. For Hyderabad he would be a power-hitting wicketkeeper-batter, and the deal would give both sides a fresh start.
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