CSK acquire Liam Livingstone and Jack Edwards in a four-player trade with SRH
Khaleel Ahmed and Nathan Ellis move to Hyderabad
IPL 2027 retention deadline is November 17, with the auction on December 16
Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad have agreed to a four-player trade ahead of the IPL 2027 auction, with Liam Livingstone and Jack Edwards set to represent the five-time champions in the upcoming season.
As part of the deal, CSK have traded Indian pacer Khaleel Ahmed and Australian fast bowler Nathan Ellis to SRH. The trade sees both franchises make changes to their overseas and pace-bowling combinations ahead of the retention deadline.
Livingstone, who was acquired by SRH for INR 13 crore at the IPL 2026 auction, will move to Chennai at a revised fee of INR 6 crore. Australian all-rounder Edwards, meanwhile, will join CSK at his existing contract value of INR 3 crore.
Edwards was one of SRH's major overseas acquisitions at the previous auction, with the franchise beating CSK to his signature. However, the 26-year-old could not feature in the tournament after a foot injury ruled him out of the entire IPL 2026 season.
Since then, Edwards has made his international debut in both ODIs and T20Is for Australia. He also made an immediate impact in the 50-over format, claiming a five-wicket haul in his second ODI against South Africa in Johannesburg.
Livingstone's arrival gives CSK an experienced T20 all-rounder who can contribute with both bat and ball. The England international has scored 8,595 runs and taken 171 wickets across 370 T20 matches, with his off-spin and leg-spin providing additional bowling options.
He recently featured in the inaugural European T20 Premier League, scoring 219 runs in 10 innings for Glasgow Cosmic at a strike rate of 128.82.
For SRH, Khaleel's return marks a reunion with the franchise he represented between 2018 and 2021. The left-arm pacer joined CSK ahead of the 2025 season and picked up 15 wickets in 14 appearances in IPL 2025. He featured in five matches in the 2026 edition before a quadriceps injury brought his campaign to an early end.
Khaleel will add depth to SRH's left-arm pace department, joining T Natarajan, who also returned to the franchise through a separate trade from Delhi Capitals.
Ellis, who moves to SRH at his existing fee of INR 2 crore, will strengthen their overseas fast-bowling options. The Australian has previously played for Sunrisers Leeds, the franchise's sister team in The Hundred, and brings considerable experience in T20 cricket, particularly in the death overs.
CSK will have to account for Khaleel's departure when assessing their pace-bowling resources. Mukesh Choudhary and Gurjapneet Singh are among the left-arm options who could take on greater responsibility in the upcoming season.
The four-player exchange comes ahead of the IPL 2027 retention deadline, which has been extended from November 15 to November 17. Franchises will have to submit their retention lists and details of released players by the revised date.
The IPL 2027 mini-auction is scheduled to be held in Goa on December 16.
