The Indian Premier League transfer window witnessed a massive earthquake on Thursday as five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) confirmed a blockbuster four-player trade ahead of the IPL 2027 season. While intense speculation had previously centered around potential movements involving Hardik Pandya, both franchises moved decisively behind closed doors to restructure their squads. Under the landmark exchange officially ratified and published by the IPL governing body on November 5, English power-hitter Liam Livingstone and Australian seam-bowling all-rounder Jack Edwards have completed moves to Chennai Super Kings, while Indian left-arm seamer Khaleel Ahmed and Australian death-overs specialist Nathan Ellis have officially headed to Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Livingstone Takes Massive Pay Cut for CSK Move Alongside Australian All-Rounder Edwards
The marquee headline of the swap deal is England international Liam Livingstone joining the Men in Yellow at a significantly revised contract valuation of ₹6 crore. Livingstone was originally secured by Sunrisers Hyderabad at an eye-watering fee of ₹13 crore, making his transition to the Chepauk-based franchise a major tactical and financial coup for CSK’s middle-order firepower. Joining Livingstone in yellow is 26-year-old Australian seam-bowling all-rounder Jack Edwards, who arrives at his existing player fee of ₹3 crore. Edwards was originally drafted by SRH prior to earning his senior international caps for Australia, though he missed the entire IPL 2026 campaign after sustaining an untimely foot injury, and will now provide seam-bowling balance to CSK’s evolving all-round setup.
Khaleel Ahmed Returns to Sunrisers Hyderabad in ₹4.8 Crore Deal with Nathan Ellis
Heading the other way, Sunrisers Hyderabad have bolstered their pace artillery by welcoming back Indian left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed at his current fee of ₹4.8 crore. Khaleel previously represented the Orange Army from 2018 to 2021 before enjoying a standout campaign for CSK in IPL 2025, where he bagged 15 wickets in 14 matches. After featuring in five games for Chennai during the IPL 2026 season, a right quadriceps injury ruled him out of action, and he now returns to his former franchise fully recovered. To complement Khaleel’s left-arm angle, SRH also secured Australian pace weapon Nathan Ellis at his current price tag of ₹2 crore. Renowned across global franchise cricket for his deceptive variations, pin-point yorkers, and calm execution during high-pressure death overs, Ellis adds vital T20 pedigree to Hyderabad’s pace unit as both teams finalize their strategic blueprints well ahead of the IPL 2027 auction.