In what could be the first major trade ahead of the 2027 Indian Premier League, Lucknow Super Giants are expected to part ways with Rishabh Pant, sending him back to Delhi Capitals in exchange for Kuldeep Yadav.
Pant, who became the costliest player in IPL history after LSG signed him for INR 27 crore at the 2025 mega auction, is likely to move to Delhi for INR 15 crore. The trade is still pending final approval, with both franchises completing paperwork before seeking ratification from the Board of Control for Cricket in India.
Financially, LSG are set to gain INR 13.75 crore in their auction purse, calculated from Pant’s outgoing salary minus Kuldeep’s INR 13.25 crore contract. Meanwhile, Delhi Capitals will see INR 1.25 crore deducted from their purse to accommodate Pant’s salary.
Pant is also set to become only the second high-profile player to accept a salary reduction in a trade, following Ravindra Jadeja. Ahead of IPL 2026, Chennai Super Kings completed a blockbuster swap involving Jadeja and Sanju Samson with Rajasthan Royals, with Jadeja’s salary dropping from INR 18 crore to INR 14 crore.
Reports suggest Rishabh Pant attracted interest from multiple teams, including Delhi Capitals and another franchise with multiple IPL titles. Kuldeep, a domestic player for Uttar Pradesh, will now join the IPL team representing his home state.
Although he endured a challenging IPL season and spent much of India’s victorious ICC Men’s T20 World Cup campaign on the sidelines, he has been a valuable performer for Delhi Capitals overall, claiming 72 wickets in 65 matches since 2022 at an economy rate of 8.24.
Rishabh Pant Quits LSG Captaincy Amid Leadership Overhaul Talks
Just two days before the IPL 2026 final, Rishabh Pant informed Lucknow Super Giants of his decision to step down as captain. Soon after team director Tom Moody hinted at a leadership change following poor finishes, including a last-place finish in 2026.
Pant’s two-year stint with LSG proved challenging. Under his captaincy, the team managed only 10 wins while losing 18 matches. With the bat, he scored 581 runs at an average of 26.4 and a strike rate of 135.74, both below his overall T20 career standards.
This was a sharp contrast to his successful spell with Delhi Capitals, where he was appointed captain in an interim role in 2021, becoming the fifth-youngest skipper in IPL history. Between 2021 and 2024, missing the 2023 season due to recovery from a car accident, Pant led Delhi in 44 matches, winning 24 and losing 19.
During his captaincy at Delhi, Pant amassed 1,205 runs at an average of 35.44, closely matching his overall IPL average of 35.31. His strike rate of 143.96 was also only slightly lower than his career IPL strike rate of 148.93. If the trade is finalized, Pant’s return to Delhi would mirror Hardik Pandya’s move back to Mumbai Indians, with both players rejoining the franchises where their IPL careers began.
Pant first joined Delhi in 2016, when the franchise was still known as the Delhi Daredevils. Before the 2025 mega auction, he chose to part ways with the franchise after discussions with the leadership group, including co-owner Kiran Grandhi and Parth Jindal.
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.
