T Natarajan is making a return to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the IPL after being part of a trade with Delhi Capitals (DC). In exchange, DC will welcome leg-spinner Zeeshan Ansari. This change makes way for Natarajan’s second run with SRH.
Natarajan, who will be 36 come IPL 2027, spent the last two seasons with DC, having been acquired for INR 10.75 crore (around USD 1.1 million) during the IPL 2025 mega auction. However, he rejoins SRH at a renegotiated fee of INR 5 crore. In contrast, Ansari will join DC while maintaining his current fee of INR 40 lakh. This trade results in DC increasing their budget by INR 10.35 crore, while SRH will reduce theirs by INR 4.6 crore.
The 2025 season saw Natarajan side-lined for much of it due to injury, but he returned to action in 2026, featuring in ten matches for DC, taking five wickets with an economy rate of 11.18. Yet, these statistics don’t wholly reflect his capabilities. Known for his precision with yorkers, his clever slower deliveries, and a smart bouncer, Natarajan was a crowd favourite in his previous tenure with SRH, stretching from 2020 till 2024.
During his earlier period at SRH, he bagged 65 wickets from 55 innings, maintaining an economy rate of 8.82. The 2024 season was particularly fruitful for him, claiming 19 scalps and leading the SRH attack to the final. This performance also earned him a spot in the Indian T20I team, despite injury setbacks affecting his stride over the years.
On the other hand, Ansari had a promising start with SRH during the IPL 2026, appearing in ten matches, claiming six wickets with his best figures being 3 for 42. Though his economy rate stood at 9.84, he showed flashes of potential throughout the season.
This trade marks the second such deal for DC before the IPL retention deadline of November 15. Earlier, in June, DC swapped Kuldeep Yadav with Lucknow Super Giants for Rishabh Pant, who became the most expensive acquisition in the league’s history at INR 27 crore in the IPL 2025 mega auction. Pant agreed to a revised fee of INR 15 crore for DC, while Kuldeep moved for his existing price of INR 13.50 crore.
The IPL 2027 auction is set to take place in Goa in mid-December.
