Sunrisers Hyderabad sign T Natarajan for ₹5 crore, while Delhi Capitals acquire Zeeshan Ansari for ₹40 lakh ahead of the IPL 2027 season.
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have brought back left-arm pacer T Natarajan through a trade with Delhi Capitals (DC) ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2027 season. As part of the deal, leg-spinner Zeeshan Ansari will move to Delhi Capitals at his existing fee of ₹40 lakh, while Natarajan will join SRH at a revised fee of ₹5 crore.
Natarajan, who will turn 36 during IPL 2027, was acquired by Delhi Capitals for ₹10.75 crore at the IPL 2025 mega auction. After spending two seasons with the franchise, the experienced fast bowler will return to Sunrisers Hyderabad, where he enjoyed considerable success between 2020 and 2024.
The trade will provide Delhi Capitals with an additional ₹10.35 crore in their auction purse, while Sunrisers Hyderabad will see their purse reduced by ₹4.6 crore.
Natarajan Returns to SRH After Previous Successful Stint
Natarajan previously represented Sunrisers Hyderabad for five seasons, taking 65 wickets in 55 innings at an economy rate of 8.82. His most productive IPL campaign came in 2024, when he claimed 19 wickets, finishing as SRH's leading wicket-taker for the season and helping the team reach the final.
Known for his accurate yorkers, deceptive slower deliveries and effective bouncers, Natarajan established himself as a reliable death-over specialist during his earlier stint with SRH. His performances also earned him an opportunity to represent India in four T20 internationals.
However, injuries have interrupted his career in recent years. After missing a significant portion of the 2025 season, Natarajan featured in 10 matches for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2026, taking five wickets at an economy rate of 11.18.
Despite those numbers, SRH will hope that a return to familiar surroundings helps the experienced pacer rediscover his best form ahead of the upcoming season.
Zeeshan Ansari Moves to Delhi Capitals
Delhi Capitals have secured the services of leg-spinner Zeeshan Ansari, who impressed during his debut IPL season with Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2026.
Ansari featured in 10 matches for SRH, picking up six wickets, with his best figures being 3 for 42. Although his economy rate of 9.84 left room for improvement, the young spinner showed promise and provided the franchise with a useful bowling option.
DC will now look to integrate Ansari into their bowling attack as they prepare for IPL 2027.
Second Trade Deal for Delhi Capitals
The Natarajan-Ansari exchange marks Delhi Capitals' second major trade ahead of the November 15 retention deadline for IPL 2027.
In June, DC agreed to a trade involving star players Kuldeep Yadav and Rishabh Pant with Lucknow Super Giants. Pant, who became the most expensive player in IPL history when he was bought for ₹27 crore at the IPL 2025 mega auction, agreed to join Delhi Capitals at a revised fee of ₹15 crore.
Meanwhile, Kuldeep Yadav moved to Lucknow Super Giants at his existing fee of ₹13.50 crore.
With the IPL 2027 auction scheduled to take place in Goa in mid-December, franchises are expected to continue reshaping their squads through trades and retention decisions as they prepare for the next season.