Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad have completed a major four-player trade exchange ahead of IPL 2027.

The deal will see England all-rounder Liam Livingstone join CSK, while Australian fast bowler Nathan Ellis will represent SRH.

The preparations for the IPL 2027 auction have gathered momentum, with franchises making significant changes to their squads through player trades. Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have completed a major four-player exchange involving three overseas players and one Indian fast bowler. The deal will see England all-rounder Liam Livingstone join CSK, while Australian fast bowler Nathan Ellis will represent SRH.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) officially confirmed the transaction on Thursday. The trade gives both franchises an opportunity to address specific squad requirements ahead of the upcoming season.

Liam Livingstone joins CSK at a reduced fee of INR 6 crore

The biggest name involved in the exchange is undoubtedly Livingstone, who will begin a new chapter of his IPL career with CSK. The England international was initially purchased by SRH for INR 13 crore during the IPL 2025 mini-auction. However, he will now join the Chennai-based franchise at a significantly reduced fee of INR 6 crore.

Livingstone’s recent IPL journey has been relatively quiet. After winning the championship with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in IPL 2025, the explosive batter moved to Hyderabad. However, opportunities were limited during his subsequent campaign, as he managed to feature in only two matches for SRH in IPL 2026.

CSK will hope that a change of franchise provides the 33-year-old with a fresh opportunity to rediscover his best form. Known for his aggressive batting and ability to contribute with the ball, Livingstone could offer valuable flexibility to Chennai’s middle order.

Alongside him, Australian all-rounder Jack Edwards will also move to CSK. His existing contract fee of INR 3 crore will remain unchanged. Edwards, however, did not get an opportunity to make his IPL debut for SRH during the 2026 season.

Nathan Ellis and Khaleel Ahmed move to Sunrisers Hyderabad

In exchange, SRH have secured the services of two fast bowlers who endured injury-disrupted campaigns in IPL 2026. Ellis was brought into the CSK setup for INR 2 crore and was expected to take responsibility for the death overs, particularly as a replacement option for Matheesha Pathirana. However, his plans were derailed before the tournament even began.

The Australian pacer suffered a hamstring injury during the domestic One-Day Cup final, ruling him out of the entire IPL 2026 season. CSK subsequently brought in Spencer Johnson as his replacement.

Meanwhile, Khaleel Ahmed will also return to SRH, having previously represented the franchise between 2018 and 2021. The left-arm pacer featured in five matches for CSK during IPL 2026 before a quadriceps injury brought his campaign to an early end.