SRH trades Ellis and Khaleel for Livingstone and Edwards as Cummins’ spot looks uncertain

Sunrisers Hyderabad and Chennai Super Kings completed a trade on Thursday that sends Nathan Ellis and Khaleel Ahmed to Hyderabad in exchange for England all‑rounder Liam Livingstone and Australian all‑rounder Jack Edwards. Former SRH batter Tirumalasetti Suman said the move was driven by Pat Cummins’ 50‑50 chance of playing the next IPL season. He added that Khaleel can bowl three power‑play overs with the new ball while Ellis is a strong death‑overs bowler with a good back‑of‑the‑hand slower ball. Livingstone joins CSK for a reduced fee of Rs 6 crore, down from the Rs 13 crore SRH paid last year. Edwards arrives at CSK on his existing Rs 3 crore price after missing IPL 2026 because of a foot injury. In return, SRH secured Khaleel at his existing Rs 4.8 crore fee; he previously played for Hyderabad from 2018 to 2021 and returned after a standout IPL 2025 season where he took 15 wickets in 14 matches for CSK before a right‑quadriceps injury cut his 2026 campaign short. Ellis also returns to SRH at his existing Rs 2 crore price, bringing T20 experience and effective variations for the death overs. ## Context Pat Cummins’ participation heavily shapes SRH’s bowling plans, so teams often reshuffle squads when his availability is uncertain. IPL franchises use trades to plug specific gaps such as power‑play or death‑over bowling, ensuring a balanced attack despite player injuries or doubts about playing time.