Chennai Super Kings have agreed a four-player trade with Sunrisers Hyderabad, according to The Times of India, sending fast bowlers Khaleel Ahmed and Nathan Ellis to SRH in exchange for England all-rounder Liam Livingstone and Australian all-rounder Jack Edwards.
The trade, reported on November 6, comes with the November 17 deadline for franchises to submit their retained and released player lists fast approaching. The IPL website also carries the announcement of a CSK-SRH four-player trade.
How the trade works
Livingstone, who was bought by SRH for Rs 13 crore at the previous auction, will join CSK for a reduced fee of Rs 6 crore. Edwards comes in at his existing price of Rs 3 crore. In return, SRH get two quality pace options: Khaleel Ahmed, valued at Rs 4.8 crore in the report, and Ellis, signed for Rs 2 crore.
The exchange changes the balance of both squads: Chennai add two all-rounders, while Hyderabad gain two specialist fast bowlers. Those are changes in personnel, not a guarantee that either side will improve.
Why CSK let Khaleel Ahmed and Nathan Ellis go
Both outgoing bowlers had injury-disrupted seasons, although the report does not establish injury as the reason for the trade. Khaleel had a decent stint with the franchise in 2025 before a quadriceps injury cut short his IPL 2026 campaign, while Ellis missed the entire season with a hamstring problem.
CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan, however, insisted the call came from the franchise’s cricket leadership rather than the boardroom. “The cricket management takes all decisions at CSK. We have the think tank of Ruturaj Gaikwad, Zaheer Khan and MS Dhoni. They have assessed what is best for CSK and taken the decision accordingly,” Viswanathan told The Times of India.
What Liam Livingstone brings to Chepauk
At the time of the report, Livingstone had scored 8,595 runs and taken 171 wickets across 370 T20 matches, and was part of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru side that won the IPL title in 2025.
TOI reports that he played only twice for SRH in the 2026 season and was struggling to regain a place in the England side. The move gives CSK another middle-order option, although his role in their eventual XI has not been established.
Edwards is the other all-rounder moving to Chennai in the reported agreement. His eventual role will depend on team selection.
What SRH get in return
For Sunrisers Hyderabad, this is a pace-restocking exercise. Khaleel returns to a franchise he has represented before, with Ellis also joining the pace options. Their availability matters after the injury disruptions described in the report.
TOI gives November 17 as the deadline for franchises to submit their retained and released lists. Follow the official IPL website for subsequent announcements; a submission deadline does not establish when every list will be published.
FAQs
Who did CSK trade to SRH? Chennai Super Kings sent fast bowlers Khaleel Ahmed and Nathan Ellis to Sunrisers Hyderabad in exchange for Liam Livingstone and Jack Edwards.
How much will Liam Livingstone cost CSK? Livingstone joins CSK for a reduced fee of Rs 6 crore, down from the Rs 13 crore SRH paid for him at the previous auction.
When is the IPL retention deadline? Franchises must submit their retained and released player lists by November 17.
Why did CSK trade Khaleel Ahmed? Viswanathan said CSK’s cricket management decided what was best for the team. The report describes both bowlers’ injuries but does not confirm that injuries caused the trade.
Trade fees, injury background and management comments: The Times of India report.
Updated November 7, 2026: added clear attribution for the trade terms, removed unsupported claims about the trade being the window’s first major move, and distinguished the retention submission deadline from a guaranteed publication date.
