IPL 2027 trade: Natarajan back at SRH for Rs 5 crore, Zeeshan Ansari moves to Delhi
Published
The trade closed on 14 October, before the retention deadline. Sunday Guardian puts Natarajan's new fee at Rs 5 crore; two other outlets' headlines call it a Rs 5.75 crore pay cut, and none reconciles the two.
Original report
T Natarajan's IPL 2027 trade from Delhi Capitals back to Sunrisers Hyderabad was completed on Wednesday 14 October 2026, with leg-spinner Zeeshan Ansari going the other way, Sunday Guardian reported. It put Natarajan's revised fee at Rs 5 crore and Ansari's at Rs 40 lakh (Sunday Guardian, 2026).
Times Now and India TV headlines frame the same move as a Rs 5.75 crore pay cut. No report we read confirmed his previous price, so the two figures cannot yet be squared. See how every outlet covered it
Natarajan returns to Hyderabad after two years
Natarajan, a 35-year-old left-arm pacer, has 73 IPL matches and 72 wickets, Sunday Guardian reported: just under a wicket a match. India TV's headline says he returns to SRH after two years.
- Ansari, 26, a leg-spinner, moves from SRH to Delhi Capitals.
- Natarajan's Rs 5 crore fee is 12.5 times Ansari's Rs 40 lakh, by our arithmetic.
The fee is where the reports part ways.
One trade, two money stories
Sunday Guardian leads on a Rs 5 crore fee; Times Now and India TV lead on a Rs 5.75 crore cut. Both Times Now and India TV say in their headlines that Natarajan accepted a pay cut to return.
Neither headline figure is explained against the Rs 5 crore fee in the reports we read. Until the IPL or either franchise publishes the numbers, treat the size of the cut as unconfirmed.
The list of who carried the story is short too.
How the coverage split
Our database shows four outlets carrying the trade, each with a different lead:
- Sunday Guardian: trade completed, fees revealed.
- ESPNcricinfo: Natarajan returns to SRH, Ansari traded to Delhi Capitals, with no fee in the headline.
- Times Now: a "massive" pay cut, and Delhi signing an uncapped spinner.
- India TV: a return after two years and an accepted pay cut.
No outlet rated left-leaning in our database has carried it so far.
What happens next
Both franchises now finalise their retention plans for IPL 2027, Sunday Guardian reported. The retention deadline date was not stated in the article we read.
References
ESPNcricinfo (2026) Natarajan returns to SRH, Ansari traded to Delhi Capitals. ESPNcricinfo. Available at: Natarajan returns to SRH (Accessed: 14 October 2026).
India TV (2026) Delhi Capitals pacer returns to Sunrisers Hyderabad after two years, accepts 5.75 crore pay cut. India TV. Available at: Delhi Capitals pacer returns to Sunrisers Hyderabad (Accessed: 14 October 2026).
Sunday Guardian (2026) IPL 2027 Trade: T Natarajan Returns to Sunrisers Hyderabad as Zeeshan Ansari Joins Delhi Capitals; Fees Revealed. Sunday Guardian. Available at: IPL 2027 Trade: Fees Revealed (Accessed: 14 October 2026).
Times Now (2026) T Natarajan Returns To SRH After Taking Massive Rs 5.75 Crore Pay Cut, DC Sign Uncapped Spinner In Return. Times Now. Available at: T Natarajan Returns To SRH (Accessed: 14 October 2026).
How we did this
We read Sunday Guardian's report in full and compared its fees with the headlines of Times Now, India TV and ESPNcricinfo, all from 14 October 2026. We counted which outlets carried the trade in the United One News database. We did not find an official IPL statement or the trade-window rules, so neither is quoted here.
This story was produced, reviewed, edited and verified by the reporter before publication, with AI assistance where required.
Covered by 4 outlets across the spectrum: 0% left, 25% center, 75% right.
Who is covering this story
- Center (1): ESPN Cricinfo
- Right-leaning (3): Sunday Guardian, India TV English, Times Now
Sources
- Natarajan returns to SRH, Ansari traded to Dehi Capitals — ESPN Cricinfo (center) ·
- IPL 2027 Trade: T Natarajan Returns to Sunrisers Hyderabad as Zeeshan Ansari Joins Delhi Capitals; Fees Revealed — Sunday Guardian (right-leaning) ·
- Delhi Capitals pacer returns to Sunrisers Hyderabad after two years, accepts 5.75 crore pay cut - India TV News — India TV English (right-leaning) ·
- T Natarajan Returns To SRH After Taking Massive ₹5.75 Crore Pay Cut, DC Sign Uncapped Spinner In Return — Times Now (right-leaning) ·