Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have brought T Natarajan back to the franchise after agreeing to trade the left-arm pacer to Delhi Capitals (DC) for leg-spinner Zeeshan Ansari ahead of the next Indian Premier League (IPL) season. The deal sees both teams make changes to their bowling options as they prepare for the upcoming campaign.

Natarajan returns to Hyderabad after spending the 2025 season with Delhi Capitals. Ansari, meanwhile, moves to DC after making his IPL debut for SRH last year. The trade also involves a difference in their contract values, with Natarajan joining SRH for ₹5 crore and Ansari moving to Delhi at his existing fee of ₹40 lakh.

T Natarajan back at SRH as Zeeshan Ansari moves to Delhi Capitals

Natarajan spent five IPL seasons with Sunrisers Hyderabad between 2020 and 2024, becoming a regular part of their pace attack. His ability to deliver yorkers at the death made him an important option for the franchise, particularly during high-pressure overs.

His strongest season for SRH came in 2024, when he claimed 19 wickets in 14 matches. He was the team's leading wicket-taker that year and played a part in their run to the final. Delhi Capitals signed him for ₹10.75 crore at the IPL 2025 auction, but he will now return to Hyderabad at a revised fee of ₹5 crore.

Ansari will get an opportunity to strengthen Delhi's spin department after his first IPL season with SRH. He will effectively replace Kuldeep Yadav, who moved to Lucknow Super Giants.

T Natarajan's stats and performance so far in the Indian Premier League

Natarajan has played 73 IPL matches for three franchises: Punjab Kings, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Capitals. Across those appearances, he has taken 72 wickets in 72 innings, conceding 2,374 runs from 1,546 deliveries. His overall bowling average stands at 32.97, while his economy rate is 9.21 and strike rate is 21.4. His best IPL figures are 4/19, and he has registered one four-wicket haul.

T Natarajan began his IPL career with Punjab Kings in 2017, playing six matches and taking two wickets. He subsequently established himself at SRH, where he claimed 16 wickets in 2020-21, 18 in 2022, 10 in 2023 and 19 in 2024. After a limited return of two appearances in 2025, he took five wickets in 10 matches for DC in IPL 2026.

His return gives SRH an experienced Indian left-arm option who has already enjoyed success with the franchise.

How has Zeeshan Ansari fared in the IPL?

Zeeshan Ansari has represented Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL, making 10 appearances in the 2025 season. He took six wickets from 10 innings, conceding 333 runs off 203 deliveries. His bowling average was 55.50, with an economy rate of 9.84 and a strike rate of 33.8. His best figures were 3/42, which came during his debut season.

The Uttar Pradesh leg-spinner has also played domestic cricket for Uttar Pradesh and Central Zone, alongside appearances for India's Under-19 team and India A team.