Top 10 IPL Trade Deals and Transfers: Record-Breaking Deals in IPL History

In the modern day sporting world, the trade deals and transfers across various sports have become one of the most exciting and thrilling part of the off-season activities. The Indian Premier League (IPL), one of the biggest sporting leagues in the world, has seen many trades and transfers that have impacted the dynamics of the game as well as the teams. Over the years, many players have switched sides and teams in order to get more opportunities and create an impact on the league.

The IPL trade deals help the teams to strategize and plan better for the upcoming season before the official auction. The trades and transfers can be done either with money from the purse or by swapping players of the same or similar value. In this article, we will talk about the biggest IPL trade deals and transfers in the history of the league.

List of Top 10 IPL Trade Deals & Transfers

In the history of the Indian Premier League, several famous Indian and overseas players have been a part of trade deals and transfers from one franchise to another. From Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra in 2009 to Hardik Pandya and Cameron Green in 2023, we have seen many trades that have shaken the overall system of the league along with various franchises. Many players have seek transfers, but we have covered the top IPL transfers list players in our article. Here is the list of top IPL trade deals and transfers:

Which is the Most Expensive Trade in IPL History?

In the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Australian all-rounder Cameron Green's trade from Mumbai Indians to Royal Challengers Bengaluru is the most expensive trade in IPL history, with a value of around INR 17.5 Crore. RCB pushed for the trade in order to strengthen their middle-order and get a fast bowling option, whereas MI wanted money to re-acquire the services of Hardik Pandya.

10. Harshal Patel | DC to RCB

Medium pace bowling all-rounder, Harshal Patel was traded from Delhi Capitals to Royal Challengers Bengaluru, for an undisclosed amount in the year 2021. Following this transfer, the career of Harshal Patel went through a remarkable change, winning the purple cap with 32 wickets in the 2021 IPL season. He was also called in the India National Cricket Team for the 2021 T20I World Cup and became one of the best death-over bowlers in the world at that time.

9. Shardul Thakur | DC to KKR

In the year 2022, Indian fast bowler Shardul Thakur was traded to Kolkata Knight Riders from Delhi Capitals for an amount of INR 10.75 Crore. The Kolkata-based franchise wanted a fast bowler, who can also contribute some effective runs lower down the order. This is one of the most expensive and biggest IPL trade deals in the history. Following the trade, Shardul wasn't able to perform as per his price tag and was released later on by the franchise.

8. Quinton de Kock | RCB to MI

South African wicket-keeper batter, Quinton de Kock was traded from Royal Challengers Bengaluru to Mumbai Indians for a price of INR2.8 Crore in the year 2019. This is one of the best transfers in IPL transfer history, as de Kock provided a strong balance to Mumbai along with Rohit Sharma in the top order, carrying MI to many finals and titles.

7. Ravindra Jadeja | CSK to RR

Ahead of the IPL 2026 mini auction, one of the best all-rounders in IPL, Ravindra Jadeja joined his previous IPL team, Rajasthan Royals, after seeking a trade from Chennai Super Kings. He was traded to RR, along with Sam Curran in exchange of Sanju Samson. This trade will mark a new era for the franchise and the player in the upcoming IPL seasons. As per reports, Ravindra Jadeja is a favourable option for becoming the captain of Rajasthan Royals.

6. KL Rahul | SRH to RCB

The local boy of Karnataka, KL Rahul, joined his home franchise Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the year 2016, seeking a trade from his previous franchise, Sunrisers Hyderabad. The promising batter scored heaps of runs, scoring consistently and contributing to the victory. Rahul played a major role in leading the RCB side to final of IPL 2016. Currently, Rahul is on the list of top 10 players most runs in IPL.

5. Sherfane Rutherford | GT to MI

Ahead of the IPL 2026 auction, West Indies all-rounder Sherfane Rutherford, who had a decent IPL 2025 for Gujarat Titans, was traded to Mumbai Indians for a price of INR 2.6 Crore. He is a skilled and talented all-rounder, who can bat as a finisher and contribute runs with his bat. Rutherford can also provide handy bowling in the middle or death overs. Inclusion of Sherfane Rutherford in MI will boost the all-round department of the franchise, which is already strong with Hardik Pandya.

4. Sanju Samson | RR to CSK

The local boy from Kerala, Sanju Samson has been traded to Chennai Super Kings, after ending his long term tenure as a captain for the Rajasthan Royals. He is expected to replace the great MS Dhoni as a wicketkeeper-batter, who will possibly play his last IPL in 2026. This is one of the biggest IPL trade deals in the current window. The inclusion of Sanju Samson will provide a cushion to the batting lineup of CSK, as he is one of the best wicketkeepers in IPL.

3. Shikhar Dhawan | SRH to DC

Left-handed batter, Shikhar Dhawan, one of the best batsmen in IPL, was traded to Delhi Capitals from Sunrisers Hyderabad in the exchange of Abhishek Sharma, Shahbaz Nadeem, and Vijay Shankar. Dhawan showcased his class and dominance, taking control of the franchise from top of the order. He went on to score over 1,700 runs in the next three seasons, becoming one of the best batters in the history of the franchise as well. On the basis of impact and performance, this trade deserves to be considered as one of the top IPL player trades.

2. Cameron Green | MI to RCB

The most expensive trade in the history of IPL, Cameron Green was transferred from Mumbai Indians to Royal Challengers Bengaluru, for a record-breaking price of INR 17.5 Crore. The RCB camp was looking for a high profile all-rounder, who can score runs in the middle-order and take crucial wickets. This hunger made the Bengaluru-based franchise spend a huge amount of money from their purse to chase the player.

1 Hardik Pandya | GT to MI

One of the most sensational and exciting trades in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL), is the trade of Hardik Pandya from Gujarat Titans to Mumbai Indians. This is considered as the top-most and best IPL trade deals in the history. Hardik is arguably one of the best all-rounders in the world. Mumbai Indians acquired the title-winning captain of Gujarat Titans for a price of INR 15 Crore. Hardik Pandya succeeded Rohit Sharma later as MI's captain despite the latter being one of the most successful captains in IPL.

How We Analyse the Top IPL Trade Deals & Transfers - Major Facts

While analyzing the top 10 IPL trade deals and transfers, we have considered some important factors that have determined the rank of the top 10 players involved in the biggest IPL trade deals. Factors like price, player magnitude, and impact of the players have been considered to rank the top IPL trades and transfers. The factors are as follows:

• Price: One of the most crucial factors in rating the top IPL trades is the price involved in the trade. Higher value trades are ranked above than the lower value trades.
• Player Magnitude: The name and popularity of a player also helps in determining the rank of top 10 IPL trades and transfers. Players that got social media buzzed with their trades have been ranked better.
• Impact: Apart from price and player magnitude, the impact of players after the trade for their new teams has also been a crucial aspect in determining the ranking of the players. This includes their performances and contributions made for the team.