List of biggest player swaps in IPL History

Over the years, the Indian Premier League (IPL) has seen some interesting player swaps. Even ahead of the IPL 2026 mini-auction, the tournament witnessed one of the biggest player exchanges ever. IPL trades started in 2009 after the inaugural season.

While the auction grabs most of the limelight compared to trades, the latter works quietly in the background, helping teams acquire the players they want to iron out the chinks in their squads.

The IPL trade window is a transfer period before and after the end of the auction, during which teams can swap or buy players outside the auction room. The first phase of the IPL trade window begins seven days after the end of the IPL and runs until a week before the auction. Meanwhile, the second phase commences after the auction and concludes 30 days before the season begins.

On that note, let's take a look at a list of the biggest player swaps in IPL history:

List of the biggest player swaps in IPL History

IPL 2024: Devdutt Padikkal for Avesh Khan

Left-handed batter Devdutt Padikkal joined Lucknow Super Giants from Rajasthan Royals during the IPL 2024 trading window. On the other hand, right-arm speedster Avesh Khan moved to the Royals. This deal was announced in November 2023. Padikkal was valued at INR 7.75 crore, while Avesh got INR 10 crore. While the fast bowler had a few memorable outings at the Royals, the top-order batter did not have a great time with the Super Giants.

IPL 2019:  Shikhar Dhawan for multiple players

After serving Sunrisers Hyderabad from 2013 to 2018, Shikhar Dhawan moved to Delhi Capitals ahead of IPL 2019. In exchange, Hyderabad roped in three players - Abhishek Sharma, Shahbaz Nadeem, and Vijay Shankar. The move came after the experienced Indian opener reportedly felt "unsettled" by Sunrisers Hyderabad. The southpaw felt undervalued by the franchise after they acquired his services at the 2018 auction for INR 5.2 crore.

IPL 2023: Shardul Thakur for Aman Khan

The experienced Shardul Thakur had joined the Delhi Capitals for INR 10.75 crore in the IPL 2022 auction. However, he was later traded to the Kolkata Knight Riders for the IPL 2023 season. In exchange, the Capitals signed another seam-bowling all-rounder, Aman Khan, from the Knights. The youngster had joined KKR for INR 20 lakh in the IPL 2022 auction. However, neither player could make a strong impression during IPL 2023. 

IPL 2020: Ravichandran Ashwin for Jagadeesha Suchith plus cash

Delhi Capitals added a stalwart to their setup, roping in veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin from Punjab Kings (then Kings XI Punjab), ahead of the 2020 edition of the IPL. This was a direct player-and-cash trade, as Punjab received left-arm spinner Jagadeesha Suchith from Delhi and INR 1.5 crore in cash. This was a significant player swap at the time, as Ashwin had captained the Punjab-based franchise in the last two seasons.

IPL 2026: Sanju Samson for Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran

Sanju Samson, who was retained by Rajasthan Royals for INR 18 crore ahead of the IPL 2025 mega-auction, reportedly wanted a release from the franchise after the end of last season. The inaugural champions were in the market, seeking potential players they could add to their line-up in exchange for Samson. Eventually, they struck a deal with Chennai Super Kings, signing experienced all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran in exchange for the Kerala wicketkeeper-batter. This turned out to be one of the biggest player swaps in IPL history.