T Natarajan is set to embark on his second stint at Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the IPL, with the franchise procuring the fast bowler in a trade with Delhi Capitals (DC). In return, DC have added legspinner Zeeshan Ansari to their set-up.
Natarajan, who will turn 36 during IPL 2027, played two seasons for DC, who bought him for INR 10.75 crore (US$ 1.1 million approx.) at the IPL 2025 mega auction. He will now join SRH at a revised fee of INR 5 crore, while Ansari will move to DC at his existing fee of INR 40 lakh. That means, as part of the trade, DC will have INR 10.35 crore added to their purse, while SRH will have INR 4.6 crore deducted from their purse.
While Natarajan missed a major chunk of the 2025 season due to injury, he played ten matches for DC in 2026, picking up five wickets at an economy of 11.18. Those numbers fail to capture Natarajan's skillset, built around his pinpoint yorkers, deceptive slower balls, and effective bouncer, qualities that made him a success during his first stint with SRH, spanning five seasons from 2020 to 2024.
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Natarajan had a good stint with SRH previously, where he returned 65 wickets in 55 innings, going at an economy of 8.82. He enjoyed his most profitable IPL season in 2024, claiming 19 wickets, the most by any SRH bowler that season, and played a key role in the team's run to the final. It was here that he developed into an excellent death bowler and earned the India cap, playing four T20Is. However, injuries have kept him out for long gaps, disrupting his progress.
Ansari, meanwhile, had a good debut season with SRH in IPL 2026. He played ten matches for them, picking up six wickets with best returns of 3 for 42. While his economy of 9.84 is not a standout, he showed promise through the season.
This is the second trade that DC have been involved in before the IPL retention deadline expires on November 15. In June, DC had agreed to trade Kuldeep Yadav to Lucknow Super Giants in exchange for Rishabh Pant, who became the most expensive buy in the tournament's history when he was signed up for INR 27 crore at the mega auction prior to IPL 2025. While Pant agreed to move to DC for a revised fee of INR 15 crore, Kuldeep was traded to LSG for his current fee of INR 13.50 crore.
The IPL 2027 auction is scheduled to be held in Goa in mid-December.