Sunrisers Hyderabad get T Natarajan back as Delhi Capitals sign Zeeshan Ansari in pre‑auction swap

Sunrisers Hyderabad have secured the return of left‑arm pacer T Natarajan as Delhi Capitals receive leg‑spinner Zeeshan Ansari in a pre‑auction player swap. Natarajan played five seasons for Hyderabad from 2020 to 2024, with his most successful year in 2024 when he claimed 19 wickets, the highest for any SRH bowler that season. Delhi bought him in the 2025 auction for Rs 10.75 crore; his fee has now been revised to INR 5 crore as he rejoins SRH. Zeeshan Ansari moves to the Capitals for an existing fee of Rs 40 lakh after featuring in ten matches for SRH in IPL 2025 and taking six wickets. The exchange is part of a series of trades ahead of the upcoming IPL season. Earlier in June, wicket‑keeper Rishabh Pant returned to Delhi Capitals after a two‑year spell with Lucknow Super Giants, where he was bought for a record‑breaking INR 27 crore and later took a pay cut to Rs 12 crore. Spinner Kuldeep Yadav also switched, joining Lucknow Super Giants for Rs 13.5 crore after a modest 2026 season of ten wickets in twelve games. Both moves highlight teams reshuffling squads before the auction, a common strategy in recent seasons.

Context

Player swaps like these allow franchises to adjust budgets and address specific skill gaps before the IPL auction, a routine tactic among teams.