Harshal Patel to Join Gujarat Titans in Major IPL Trade
Harshal Patel's Transition to Gujarat Titans
New Delhi [India], November 14: Harshal Patel, a two-time winner of the IPL Purple Cap, is poised to transfer from Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) to Gujarat Titans (GT) in a cash-only deal ahead of the IPL 2027 season. Reports from ESPNcricinfo indicate that Gujarat Titans will secure the seasoned fast bowler for Rs 4 crore (around US$424,000), which is half of the Rs 8 crore SRH invested in him during the 2025 mega auction.
Upon finalizing this agreement, Rs 4 crore will be deducted from GT's auction budget. This transfer will mark Harshal's fifth franchise in the IPL since his debut in 2012, having previously played for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Delhi Capitals (DC), Punjab Kings (PBKS), and Sunrisers Hyderabad. In his inaugural season with SRH in 2025, he had a successful run, taking 16 wickets in 13 matches with an economy rate of 9.80. However, his participation dwindled in IPL 2026, where he only played five matches, did not take any wickets, and had an economy rate of 10.82, as SRH opted for uncapped Indian bowlers Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain.
Harshal's most impressive IPL seasons were in 2021 and 2024, where he took 32 wickets for RCB in 2021 and 24 wickets for PBKS in 2024, leading the tournament in both years. This upcoming transfer will also signify a return to his roots for the Ahmedabad-born player, who relocated to Gujarat a few years back to engage in domestic cricket. At GT, he is anticipated to bolster a pace lineup that includes Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, and Jason Holder. Gujarat Titans have shown interest in Harshal in past auctions, having previously bid Rs 10.5 crore for him in 2024 before PBKS acquired him for Rs 11.75 crore. They also attempted to secure him during the 2025 mega auction but withdrew when the bidding reached Rs 6.5 crore.
As the IPL 2027 retention deadline approaches on November 17, teams are increasingly active in trading players ahead of the auction. Sunrisers Hyderabad has been particularly proactive, recently acquiring left-arm pacer T. Natarajan from Delhi Capitals and bringing in fast bowlers Khaleel Ahmed and Nathan Ellis through a four-player trade with Chennai Super Kings. Harshal's anticipated move contributes to the ongoing pre-auction reshuffle as teams aim to enhance their rosters for the upcoming IPL season.