Two-Time Purple Cap Winner Set to Join GT in Major SRH Trade

As the IPL retention day gets closer, cricket fans’ heartbeats are getting faster, while teams are busy deciding whom to trade, release and retain. There is movement everywhere, with trade reports arriving one after another. Amid all this activity, another major deal now appears almost complete.

We had earlier reported that Sunrisers Hyderabad and Gujarat Titans were involved in discussions over a big trade. At the time, the possible arrangement involved Harshal Patel moving to GT and Tom Banton going to SRH. However, there has now been an important change.

According to the ESPNcricinfo update, Harshal Patel is set to join Gujarat Titans in an all-cash deal worth ₹4 crore. No player will move in the opposite direction, meaning Tom Banton is not part of this transaction.

SRH had bought Harshal for ₹8 crore at the 2025 mega auction. His proposed move to Gujarat comes at half that price, with ₹4 crore set to be deducted from GT’s purse. The deal is understood to be almost complete, with the official announcement remaining.

The immediate question is where Harshal fits into Gujarat’s bowling attack. GT already have several strong pace options. They could not even make use of Gurnoor Brar last season, so adding another experienced seamer raises questions about how much playing time he will receive.

His current form also makes a regular place in the playing XI look unlikely. Harshal’s economy rate was above 10 in IPL 2026, and Gujarat cannot pick him purely on the strength of his reputation.

The more convincing explanation is that GT want an additional option for slow surfaces.

Harshal’s slower balls, cutters and dipping yorkers give him a different role from bowlers who rely mainly on hitting hard lengths. On pitches where the ball grips and does not come nicely onto the bat, those variations can become particularly useful.

In such conditions, Gujarat could bring him in for a bowler whose main strength is pace and hard lengths. His value may therefore lie in specific match conditions rather than being a regular starter throughout the season.

Harshal comes from Gujarat, making this a move to his home franchise. With his 36th birthday approaching, the trade also offers him an opportunity to play closer to home in the later stages of his career.

But his recent struggles should not erase what he has achieved. Harshal is among the leading Indian wicket-takers in IPL history and has won the Purple Cap twice.

He took 32 wickets in 2021 to win the award with Royal Challengers Bengaluru and claimed it again with 24 wickets for Punjab Kings in 2024. His most recent Purple Cap came only two years ago.

Those two seasons show why Gujarat could still see considerable value in him. This is a bowler who has led the league’s wicket-taking charts more than once, rather than someone whose reputation rests on a single successful campaign.

At ₹4 crore, GT are backing his ability to rediscover that wicket-taking form. If he does, and Gujarat use him on surfaces that suit his variations, Harshal could become a valuable addition to their attack.