Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad have completed a four-player trade ahead of IPL 2027, with England all-rounder Liam Livingstone and Australian seam-bowling all-rounder Jack Edwards joining Chennai in exchange for fast bowlers Khaleel Ahmed and Nathan Ellis.
The deal, confirmed by the IPL in a media advisory on Thursday, sees Livingstone move to CSK for a revised fee of Rs 6 crore — less than half the Rs 13 crore SRH paid to sign him at the previous auction. Edwards joins Chennai at his existing fee of Rs 3 crore. In return, SRH have acquired left-arm pacer Khaleel at his existing contract of Rs 4.8 crore and Australian fast bowler Ellis for Rs 2 crore.
Livingstone’s move ends a short and disappointing stint in Hyderabad. SRH splurged Rs 13 crore on the England all-rounder, but he appeared in just two games in IPL 2026, scoring only 15 runs. Edwards, 26, is yet to play an IPL game, having missed the entire 2026 season with a foot injury after SRH signed him before his Australia debut.
Khaleel returns to Hyderabad, where he played between 2018 and 2021, and will strengthen an SRH pace attack that endured an injury-disrupted 2026 campaign. Ellis, a proven death bowler in T20 cricket, adds further depth to the Hyderabad attack.
The trade has already divided opinion. Former India opener Kris Srikkanth, reacting on his YouTube channel, called Edwards “an ordinary bowler”, questioned how Livingstone fits into a CSK XI that already has Dewald Brevis, Noor Ahmad and Jamie Overton as overseas certainties, and declared the swap “definitely favours SRH”.
Others pointed to what CSK have given up. The five-time champions finished eighth in IPL 2026 with six wins from 14 matches, while SRH finished third and reached the playoffs, and letting go of Ellis leaves a gap in CSK’s death bowling. Livingstone’s inconsistent IPL record makes him a risky acquisition for a side that needs reliability more than fireworks.
The trade comes with the IPL’s retention clock ticking. Franchises must submit their retained and released player lists by November 17 — a deadline the BCCI moved from November 15 because it clashed with the fifth and final ODI between India and New Zealand at Mount Maunganui. The mini-auction will be held in Goa on December 16, the last mini-auction before a mega auction ahead of the 2028 season.
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