What is IPL trade? How does it work and why is it becoming more common these days?
Ahead of the IPL 2026, several heavyweight cricketers, such as Sanju Samson and R Ashwin, are reported to have expressed their desire to be traded. So, what is trading in the IPL and how does it work and why is it now a common practice in the cash-rich league?
At the start of the decade, trading in the Indian Premier League was a relatively rare occurrence. Franchises largely focused on their auction strategies, aiming to build squads from scratch rather than reshuffling players between teams. While trades did happen, with names like KL Rahul, Ajinkya Rahane, and Trent Boult among those switching sides, they were often seen as secondary moves and didn’t draw much attention.
That perception, however, shifted significantly when Hardik Pandya made a high-profile return to Mumbai Indians from Gujarat Titans ahead of IPL 2024. The move not only grabbed headlines but also signalled a new era where teams began to treat trading as a serious, strategic tool, on par with the auction itself.
So, what is trading and how does it work?
Trading is a simple process, but it can get complicated in no time. It refers to the process where players are transferred from one franchise to another outside of the auction. It happens either for cash or for another player or players in some instances.
Notably, Pandya’s switch to Mumbai was an all-cash deal. To explain, Mumbai paid a hefty fee to Gujarat for the transfer of the player, but the amount wasn’t disclosed. On the other hand, most other transfers were for another player. Quinton de Kock joined Mumbai from Royal Challengers Bengaluru ahead of the IPL 2019, where no money or what is called a transfer fee was involved.
That season also saw Shikhar Dhawan join Delhi Daredevils (now Capitals) on a trade deal. In return, Delhi let three of their players - Vijay Shankar, Shahbaz Nadeem and Abhishek Sharma join the Hyderabad side.
Why is it becoming common?
The transfer of a player is extremely common in football. So, it is not a new concept for all the franchises. Now, it's impossible for all the franchises to be happy after an auction. The moment things go south, every time look for quick changes and hence, trading becomes an exciting option.
Mumbai were very well aware that they needed an Indian all-rounder and hence, weren’t shy to spend plenty of money in order to sign him. All the franchises now have the same mindset. For instance, Kolkata Knight Riders spent INR 24.75 crore to sign Venkatesh Iyer in the IPL 2025 auction. They now might look for his replacement as the all-rounder, not just costs a lot of money, but also wasn’t successful enough.
In the auction, they might not find the right replacement as all the top players were picked in the mega auction itself. So, what can be done? Trading.