IPL: Rishabh Pant set for Delhi Capitals return with Rs 12 crore pay cut; Kuldeep could move to LSG

Lucknow Super Giants captain Rishabh Pant is set to rejoin Delhi Capitals ahead of IPL 2027, with sources confirming that the wicketkeeper-batter is likely to move back to his former franchise in a trade deal currently being finalised between the two teams.

According to sources, Pant is expected to join Delhi Capitals on a contract worth approximately Rs 15 crore, significantly lower than the record Rs 27 crore deal that took him to Lucknow Super Giants at the IPL 2025 mega auction. The proposed move would see Pant take a pay cut of around Rs 12 crore.

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The two franchises are understood to be completing the final formalities of the trade, which will require approval from the BCCI before it can be officially ratified.

Sources further indicate that the deal could involve India spinner Kuldeep Yadav moving in the opposite direction, although discussions around the structure of the trade are still ongoing.

Pant’s return would mark a homecoming of sorts for the 28-year-old, who spent several seasons with Delhi Capitals and captained the franchise before being released ahead of the IPL 2025 auction.

His two-year stint with Lucknow failed to deliver the expected results. Under Pant’s leadership, LSG managed just 10 wins in 28 matches, while the left-hander scored 581 runs at an average of 26.4 and a strike rate of 135.74.

The 2026 season proved particularly disappointing, with Lucknow finishing bottom of the table after winning only four of their 14 league-stage matches. Pant subsequently stepped down as captain following the campaign.

If the trade goes through, Pant would become the second major IPL star in recent years to accept a significant salary reduction as part of a franchise switch, following Ravindra Jadeja’s high-profile move involving Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals.

Kuldeep, meanwhile, has been one of Delhi Capitals’ most consistent performers since joining the franchise in 2022. The left-arm wrist-spinner has claimed 72 wickets in 65 matches for DC while maintaining an economy rate of 8.24, making him a valuable asset despite a relatively quiet IPL 2026 season.