SRH set to trade Harshal Patel to GT

Two-time IPL purple cap winner Harshal Patel is set to be traded by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) to Gujarat Titans (GT) ahead of the 2027 season.

Cricinfo has learned that SRH have agreed to an all-cash trade with GT procuring Harshal for INR 4 crore, which is half the price he was bought for at the 2025 mega auction. Accordingly, GT's auction purse will be deducted by INR 4 crore.

GT will be the fifth franchise Harshal represents, once the trade is finalised, having previously played for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Delhi Capitals (DC), Punjab Kings (PBKS) and most recently SRH for the last two seasons.

SRH had bought Harshal at the 2025 mega auction for INR 8 crore ($0.89 million approx. then), and he took 16 wickets in 13 matches that season, with an economy rate of 9.80. In IPL 2026, however, his role was limited, with SRH prioritising the uncapped Indian duo of Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain. Harshal played only five games and failed to take a wicket while conceding 10.82 per over.

His most successful IPL seasons were in 2021, when he took 32 wickets for RCB, and in 2024, when he took 24 for PBKS; he was the highest wicket-taker in both those seasons.

For Harshal, who turns 36 later this month, the trade allows him to play for his home team; he is from Ahmedabad and moved to Gujarat a few years ago to play domestic cricket. He will join the GT fast-bowling pack of Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna and Jason Holder among the established set of seamers.

While the trade could prompt the question as to why GT wanted Harshal at this stage of his career, they had tried hard to buy him at the auction more than once. In 2024, GT dropped out after bidding for Harshal at 10.5 crore before PBKS eventually got him for 11.75 crore. In the 2025 auction, GT once again bid for Harshal and dropped out at INR 6.5 crore.

As the retention deadline expires on November 17, this has been the busiest pre-auction trading window with SRH being involved in the most trades so far. After acquiring left-arm fast bowler T Natarajan from DC, SRH procured the fast-bowling pair of Khaleel Ahmed and Nathan Ellis in a four-player trade with CSK.

Click here for all the completed trades ahead of IPL 2027.