Romario Shepherd to CSK, Nathan Ellis to RCB: 3 Player swaps that can help the two franchises in IPL 2026

With IPL 2026 mini-auction approaching, RCB and CSK aim to address past season issues.

Published on: Oct 27, 2025, 22:05:15 IST

By Probuddha Bhattacharjee

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With the mini-auction for IPL 2026 approaching and the trade window open, both Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Chennai Super Kings have a chance to fix their specific problems from the previous season. A close analysis of the performances of the two franchises in IPL 2025 shows that the teams have a shared headache in the death, but there are also some different problems. While RCB leaked too much in the powerplay and could use an Indian middle-order enforcer, CSK are craving for a batter who would score quick runs in the middle, and someone to increase the scoring rate in the powerplay and middle overs.

Romario Shepherd and Nathan Ellis for their national teams (AFP)

What the two teams actually need:

Royal Challengers Bengaluru need

Powerplay specialist: a new-ball operator, preferably a left-arm pacer, to cut boundaries early and raise wicket-frequency
A banker at the death: repeatable 18 and 20 overs to stop more than 12-run overs coming frequently
Indian in the middle or lower-order: to compress dots near the post powerplay and preserve overseas flexibility

Chennai Super Kings need

Power in the top-order plus bankable keeper option: CSK had a very heavy dot rate in the powerplay last season, and early six-hitting was modest
Finisher: to take off the load from players like Jadeja and MS Dhoni
Second death specialist: a partner for Pathirana

Trade 1: Khaleel Ahmed - Jitesh Sharma

WKhaleel gives RCB the left-arm powerplay specialist. Jitesh Sharma can be the top order enforcer CSK were left wanting in the last season. Besides, Sharma can also be the wicketkeeping option CSK develop for the post-Dhoni phase.

Trade 2: Nathan Ellis - Romario Shepherd

The Australian pacer will get a death-over specialist, who has the yorkers and different variations. Nathan Ellis could limit the runs RCB leaked last season.

Romario Shepherd could become the finisher who reduces the load on Jadeja and Dhoni. Besides, Shepherd is the sort of player CSK have preferred over the years, like Bravo, who can score quickly in the death overs and also bowl crucial overs with the ball.

Trade 3: Nuwan Thushara - Shivam Dube

Nuwan Thushara would give CSK the partner of Matheesha Pathirana in the death overs. The two Sri Lankans can combine and make CSK an irresistible force in the death overs in bowling.

Shivam Dube could be the middle-order enforcer for RCB, who allows them overseas flexibility. Dube’s spin-hitting could prove to be crucial for the RCB to establish firm control on a game in the middle-overs while batting.

These are trades between two teams that can sort out the problems of both. However, there is little chance that all these trades will go through. This refers to an ideal case scenario that can push the two teams for a championship run in IPL 2026.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Probuddha Bhattacharjee
Probuddha Bhattacharjee is a sports writer and analyst with expertise spanning cricket, football, and multi-sport events, with a strong emphasis on data-driven journalism and tactical storytelling. He currently focuses on international cricket, the Indian Premier League, global tournaments, and emerging trends shaping modern sport, blending advanced statistics with strong narrative context to explain performance, strategy, and decision-making. His work aims to bridge the gap between numbers and storytelling, helping readers understand not just what happened on the field, but the tactical and structural reasons behind it. Trained in data journalism through the Google News Initiative (GNI) Data Journalism Lab, Probuddha works extensively with ball-by-ball datasets, performance metrics, and trend-based modelling to produce evidence-backed reports, explainers, and long-form features. His analytical approach focuses not only on outcomes but also on process—selection strategies, phase-wise tactics, workload management, and the influence of preparation and planning on match results. He is particularly interested in how statistical patterns reshape conventional cricketing narratives and provide clearer tactical insight for modern audiences. Beyond cricket, Probuddha has written analytical and news-driven pieces on football and other major sporting events, with a growing interest in sports governance, scheduling dynamics, and the economics of elite competitions. He also tracks how rule changes, franchise structures, and broadcast pressures influence the evolution of contemporary sport. He has previously contributed to platforms such as OneCricket, Sportskeeda, and CrickTracker, and continues to specialise in analytical storytelling, live coverage, and audience-focused reporting. His work prioritises clarity, context, and credibility, while consistently exploring innovative ways to present data through accessible narratives and structured match analysis.Read More

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