The IPL 2027 trade window has given fans a big surprise. On October 14, 2026, the Indian Premier League announced a player swap between two strong teams. Sunrisers Hyderabad will welcome back T Natarajan. Delhi Capitals will add Zeeshan Ansari to the squad. The Indian Premier League confirmed the news in an official media advisory on Wednesday.
This trade is special for the fans of Sunrisers Hyderabad. Natarajan played for the team from 2020 to 2024 and became a star of the bowling attack. Now he is returning home. But the return comes with a big pay cut. Delhi Capitals had bought him for INR 10.75 crore at the IPL 2025 mega auction. Now he will play for Sunrisers Hyderabad at a revised fee of INR 5 crore.
For Delhi Capitals, this is smart business. The team gets a young leg spinner in Zeeshan Ansari at a low price of INR 40 lakh. The team also saves a large amount of money from the salary cap. This is the second trade of Delhi Capitals before the retention deadline. Earlier, the team traded Kuldeep Yadav to Lucknow Super Giants and got Rishabh Pant in return. The cricket news around IPL 2027 is getting hot with every passing day.
How The Natarajan Ansari Trade Deal Happened
The trade window of IPL 2027 started with slow moves. Then Delhi Capitals made the first big move in June. The team sent Kuldeep Yadav to Lucknow Super Giants and brought Rishabh Pant back to Delhi. Now the team has made a second smart move before the retention deadline.
According to the official announcement of the league, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Capitals agreed to swap two players. The deal was made public on October 14, 2026. T Natarajan will now play for Sunrisers Hyderabad at INR 5 crore. Zeeshan Ansari will play for Delhi Capitals at his existing fee of INR 40 lakh.
Both teams have solved one problem each with this single deal. The trade shows how teams are planning early before the IPL 2027 retention deadline of November 15, 2026. Smart trades like this can save teams from bidding wars at the auction table.
Why Sunrisers Hyderabad Wanted Natarajan Back
Sunrisers Hyderabad is known for powerful batting. In the last few seasons, the bowling of the team has looked weak. The team needed an Indian fast bowler who can bowl well in the death overs. T Natarajan is the perfect answer to this problem. He knows the team culture. He knows the home ground in Hyderabad. He has the full trust of the fans.
The numbers tell the full story of his value. Natarajan played 55 matches for Sunrisers Hyderabad between 2020 and 2024. He took 65 wickets at an economy rate of 8.82. These are strong numbers for a bowler who bowls in the toughest overs of the game. His yorkers are hard to hit even for the best batters in the world.
The Dream Season Of 2024
The 2024 season was the best season of his career. He took 19 wickets in that season. No other bowler of Sunrisers Hyderabad took more wickets than him. He played a key role in the journey of the team to the final. His yorkers in the death overs won many close matches for the team.
That season also gave him a place in the Indian national team. He played four T20I matches for India after his strong show in the IPL. As reported by ESPNcricinfo, injuries troubled him after that high point. Long gaps kept him away from the game and broke his rhythm.
Delhi Capitals still showed faith and bought him for INR 10.75 crore at the IPL 2025 mega auction. Things did not go as planned in Delhi. He played only a few games and could not make a big impact. Now he is back where he belongs. The fans in Hyderabad will hope that the old Natarajan returns with the orange jersey.
What Delhi Capitals Get In Zeeshan Ansari
Delhi Capitals had a clear plan behind this move. After Kuldeep Yadav left for Lucknow Super Giants, the team needed a wrist spinner. Zeeshan Ansari fits the need at a very low price. The 26-year-old leg spinner played 10 matches for Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2025. He took six wickets in those games.
His debut remains the highlight of his short career so far. He played his first IPL match against Delhi Capitals and took three wickets for 42 runs. He dismissed big names like Jake Fraser-McGurk, Faf du Plessis and KL Rahul in that game. It was a dream start for any young bowler in a big league.
The 2026 season was tough for him. He sat on the bench for the full tournament and did not play a single game. But his domestic form stayed strong through that period. His strong show in the 2025-26 Vijay Hazare Trophy earned him a place in the India A squad for the tour of Sri Lanka. Delhi Capitals will hope that he brings that same form to the IPL stage.
The Money Side Of The Trade
Every trade in the IPL has a money story behind it. This one is very interesting for the fans who follow the auction purse. Here is the full deal in simple words.
Natarajan took a pay cut of more than INR 5 crore. That is a brave decision by the player. It shows how much he wanted to return to Sunrisers Hyderabad. Very few players agree to such a big cut in salary.
For Delhi Capitals, the math is simple and smart. They free up more than INR 10 crore from the salary cap. They get a young spinner for just INR 40 lakh. This gives them big space before the IPL 2027 mini auction in Goa. Extra purse money means more power at the auction table.
| Player | From | To | New Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| T Natarajan | Delhi Capitals | Sunrisers Hyderabad | INR 5 crore |
| Zeeshan Ansari | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Delhi Capitals | INR 40 lakh |
What This Trade Means For The IPL 2027 Auction
The retention deadline is November 15, 2026. All ten teams must submit the final list of retained players by that date. Players who are not retained will go into the auction pool. The mini auction will take place in Goa in mid December. It will be the final mini auction of the 2023-27 cycle.
This trade tells us that teams are not waiting for the auction to fix squad problems. They are making smart moves right now through the trade route. Delhi Capitals now have extra purse money and a young spinner. Sunrisers Hyderabad now have a proven Indian death bowler. Both teams look stronger than before this deal.
More trades can happen in the coming weeks. The trade window will stay open till one week before the auction. Fans should keep an eye on the big names in the news. The story of Hardik Pandya and Mumbai Indians is still open. One big move can change the full picture of IPL 2027.
FAQ
What is the T Natarajan Zeeshan Ansari trade in IPL 2027?
Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Capitals completed a player swap on October 14, 2026. T Natarajan moved from Delhi Capitals to Sunrisers Hyderabad. Zeeshan Ansari moved from Sunrisers Hyderabad to Delhi Capitals in the same deal.
What fee will Natarajan get at Sunrisers Hyderabad?
Natarajan will play for Sunrisers Hyderabad at a revised fee of INR 5 crore. Delhi Capitals had bought him for INR 10.75 crore at the IPL 2025 mega auction. He took a pay cut of more than INR 5 crore to return to his old team.
How did Zeeshan Ansari perform for Sunrisers Hyderabad?
Zeeshan Ansari played 10 matches for Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2025 and took six wickets. His best show came on debut against Delhi Capitals, where he took three wickets for 42 runs. He did not play a single match in IPL 2026 and sat on the bench for the full season.
When is the IPL 2027 retention deadline?
All franchises must submit the final list of retained and released players by November 15, 2026. Players who are not retained by their teams will go into the auction pool for the mini auction.
When and where will the IPL 2027 auction take place?
The IPL 2027 mini auction will take place in Goa in mid December 2026. It will be the final mini auction of the 2023-27 cycle. The trade window will close one week before the auction date.
