Rishabh Pant's Dramatic IPL Trade: A Return to Delhi Capitals After Major Pay Cut

Rishabh Pant's Return to Delhi Capitals

In a significant move, Rishabh Pant has accepted a substantial pay reduction of ₹12 crore after two disappointing seasons as captain of the Lucknow Super Giants. The trade, finalized on Tuesday, also saw Kuldeep Yadav, the wrist spinner from Delhi Capitals, switch teams.

Pant is set to return to the Capitals for ₹15 crore, a stark contrast to the ₹27 crore he was acquired for during the IPL 2025 mega auction, marking the highest bid in the league's history.

Interestingly, LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka had previously suggested that Pant's contract would be a long-term commitment. However, following two lackluster seasons, the LSG management, with the backing of their Australian coaching staff, opted to release the dynamic wicketkeeper-batter.

In a predictable exchange, Kuldeep Yadav moved from the Capitals to LSG, maintaining his salary of ₹13.50 crore.

Pant will rejoin the franchise where he played 111 matches from 2016 to 2024 before entering the auction. He captained the team from 2021 to 2024, leading them in 43 matches.

Unfortunately, his performance with LSG fell short of expectations, both as a leader and as a batsman. The Super Giants finished seventh in the IPL 2025 standings, winning only six out of 14 matches, and their performance in IPL 2026 was even worse, ending at the bottom of the table with just eight points from four victories and ten losses.

As a batsman, Pant scored only 269 runs in 14 matches during 2025, and in the recent season, he managed to accumulate 312 runs, including just one half-century.

Kuldeep, who joined Delhi Capitals from KKR in IPL 2022, took 72 wickets in 65 matches but also had a lackluster IPL 2026, claiming only 10 wickets in 14 matches while conceding runs at an average of 10.30 per over.