On Thursday, November 5, Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad completed a trade that saw the five-time champions acquire English batter Liam Livingstone and pace bowler Jack Edwards. In return, SRH received Khaleel Ahmed and Nathan Ellis. The financial terms saw Livingstone move for ₹6 crore and Edwards for ₹3 crore, while Khaleel joined Hyderabad for ₹4.8 crore and Ellis for ₹2 crore. The trade marks a significant squad adjustment for CSK ahead of the 2027 season.
Former India cricketer Sadagoppan Ramesh has raised concerns about CSK’s decision to bring in Livingstone, contending that the franchise is acquiring a player whom other teams have shown little confidence in. Ramesh’s criticism centres on Livingstone’s inconsistent performance record across his recent IPL campaigns, suggesting the move carries considerable risk for the Chennai-based outfit.
“Livingstone’s form over the last three IPL seasons has been steadily dropping. RCB won their first title in 2025, and he played 10 matches. Yet, even a team that won its maiden title instantly released him. RCB’s message was that even in their biggest triumph, Livingstone played no role. In SRH, he barely played because Pat Cummins preferred Malinga over him, which was a great decision. And CSK is buying a player that other teams haven’t trusted,” said Ramesh as quoted by NDTV Sports.
“The pattern to be observed is that, over the last three seasons, the respective franchises trusted Livingstone less and less. That’s why each franchise is readily giving him away. His X-factor is his batting and that has been struggling in the last three seasons. It’s like an already struggling side has gone for a player who is himself struggling. SRH fans are celebrating Livingstone’s departure and the arrival of the two CSK players. The only hope is Dhoni’s influence transforming Livingstone,” he added.
At the IPL 2026 auction, SRH invested ₹13 crore in Livingstone, but the English batter managed only two appearances, accumulating 15 runs. Before his Hyderabad stint, Livingstone was part of Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s maiden IPL title-winning squad in 2025. However, his individual contribution during that campaign proved underwhelming, as he scored just 112 runs across 10 matches before being released by RCB. His struggles across multiple franchises have now become the focal point of Ramesh’s criticism.
How does this trade affect CSK’s pace bowling resources?
Ramesh has also expressed reservations about CSK’s decision to part with Khaleel Ahmed and Nathan Ellis, arguing that the franchise has compromised its death-bowling strength by releasing two experienced pace options. Nathan Ellis featured in only one match for CSK across two seasons and remained unavailable throughout IPL 2026 due to injury. Khaleel Ahmed played five matches for the franchise before a quadriceps injury cut short his campaign. Despite these limited contributions, Ramesh believes their departure weakens CSK’s bowling depth.
“Khaleel has gone at an economy of only nine over the last two IPL seasons. That’s an excellent economy on the flat IPL tracks. So he has delivered a decent performance. Though Ellis didn’t play last season due to injury, by releasing him and Khaleel, CSK gave away two bowlers capable of bowling at the death,” said Ramesh.
Livingstone will now represent his fifth IPL franchise, having previously played for multiple teams throughout his tournament history. Khaleel’s transfer represents a homecoming of sorts, as he returns to SRH after spending four seasons with the franchise before moving to Delhi Capitals and subsequently joining Chennai Super Kings.
