3 SRH players in IPL 2025 who were earlier in PBKS ft. Harshal Patel

Punjab Kings will see quite a few familiar faces in the Sunrisers Hyderabad camp when they face their opponents in the 27th match of the ongoing Indian Premier League on Saturday, April 12.

Several players who are currently plying their trade for SRH have done so for PBKS in the past, and this will lend a tinge of friendliness to the entire venture. These players can also reveal things to their current teammates about PBKS.

While such a thing is quite common in modern-day franchise cricket, it leaves little room for emotional detachment, both among the players and the management. The same goes for the fans too, who are not quite sure if their favorite player this season would still turn up for their team in its next campaign.

One of the biggest shockers on this list is Harshal Patel, the seamer who won the Purple Cap at the end of IPL 2024. Having picked up a whopping 24 wickets in the previous season of the tournament, Patel was strangely let go by PBKS ahead of the mega-auction, ostensibly to buy him back for a lower price.

However, that did not happen, and SRH picked him up for ₹8 crore even after PBKS had tried to use their Right to Match card. We take a look at three current SRH players who were earlier a part of PBKS:

#3 Atharva Taide

Vidarbha batter Atharva Taide is one of the first players in the current SRH camp who was earlier a part of PBKS. The left-hander played nine matches for the Chandigarh-based franchise across two seasons in 2023 and 2024, amassing 247 runs at an average of 27.44 and a strike rate of 147.02.

Taide's strike rate in the 2024 edition of the IPL was a scintillating 156.51 as he piled up 61 runs in just two matches with the highest score of 46.

The 25-year-old hit seven boundaries and two sixes for PBKS last season but was released by them ahead of the mega-auction, in which SRH signed him. He is yet to feature for them in this edition of the IPL.

#2 Rahul Chahar

Leg-spinner Rahul Chahar is another former PBKS player who now turns up for SRH in the IPL. The Rajasthan bowler is one of the most interesting prospects in the country at the moment but has not featured for the Hyderabad-based franchise even once in this season of the cash-rich league.

For PBKS, Chahar played three seasons (2022, 2023 and 2024) and was quite successful at his job. His best came in the 2022 season when he picked up 14 wickets in 13 outings. In 2023 and 2024, he picked up eight and 10 wickets respectively for the Preity Zinta-owned franchise.

Chahar's economy rate in the IPL is an impressive 7.72, and it is astounding to see him being constantly overlooked for Uttar Pradesh's Zeeshan Ansari in the SRH playing XI this season. The 25-year-old has played six T20Is for India as well as a lone ODI against Sri Lanka in Colombo in 2021.

#1 Harshal Patel

The biggest name in the SRH side who has also played for PBKS earlier is Harshal Patel. The Haryana and India seamer was the leading wicket-taker (purple cap holder) of IPL 2024 but was strangely not retained by PBKS ahead of the mega-auction in November last year. SRH promptly snapped him up.

Patel played just one season for the Chandigarh-based franchise (2024) and entertained fans, returning with 24 wickets by the end of the season. He has earlier played for Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Delhi Capitals in his career and has picked up a total of 139 wickets in 110 matches in the IPL.

Patel is among those rare speedsters who boast of an economy rate of below nine in the IPL (8.76). Known for his subtle cutters in the death overs as well as dipping yorkers, the 34-year-old is one of the most challenging bowlers to target consistently.

More importantly, Patel has played 25 T20Is for India, the last of which came in 2023 against Sri Lanka.