Major Trade Deal Announced for IPL 2027: Rishabh Pant and Kuldeep Yadav Swap Teams

The IPL 2027 season is already generating buzz with a major trade involving Rishabh Pant and Kuldeep Yadav. Pant returns to the Delhi Capitals after a successful stint, while Kuldeep joins the Lucknow Super Giants. This trade not only affects their team dynamics but also their salaries, with Pant taking a significant pay cut. Learn more about the implications of this trade and how it impacts the salary cap for both franchises.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jun 23, 2026, 22:24 IST

IPL 2027 Trade News

Although the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) season has just concluded, preparations for the 2027 season are already underway. A significant trade has been confirmed, involving Rishabh Pant and Kuldeep Yadav, who will be switching teams to play for the Delhi Capitals (DC) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), respectively. Pant is making a return to the franchise where he began his IPL journey, having played there for eight years from 2016 to 2024. On the other hand, Kuldeep is set to join his home state's IPL team, LSG, marking his first experience with the franchise after a five-year tenure with the Capitals.

Salary Adjustments

In terms of compensation, Kuldeep will maintain his salary at ₹13.50 crore with LSG, the same amount he earned at DC. Conversely, Pant has agreed to a pay cut, reducing his earnings from ₹27 crore at LSG to ₹15 crore at DC as part of the trade. Notably, while DC will pay Pant a lower salary, they will only incur a ₹15 crore deduction from their salary cap for the 2027 IPL Auction, whereas LSG will benefit from an increase of ₹27 crore.

Understanding the Salary Cap Dynamics

The reason DC's salary cap is only reduced by ₹15 crore despite acquiring a player with a ₹27 crore salary is due to a 'negotiated decrease' clause permitted under rule 59.1 for trade agreements established by the IPL governing council. This rule allows the player to enter into a new contract with the acquiring team, provided they agree to a salary reduction and confirm it with the BCCI. In this arrangement, the player receives the same amount as their original contract, but the selling team compensates the buying club for the difference in a one-time payment. Therefore, while DC will record Pant's salary as ₹15 crore, LSG will pay DC ₹12 crore. Consequently, LSG's salary cap has increased by ₹13.5 crore (₹27 crore - ₹13.5 crore), while DC will have ₹1.5 crore less (₹13.5 crore - ₹15 crore).