Rishabh Pant is set to make one of the biggest financial sacrifices by a marquee player in IPL history after agreeing to a reported Rs 12 crore pay cut to facilitate a return from Lucknow Super Giants to Delhi Capitals. The move, subject to BCCI ratification, would see Pant's salary fall from Rs 27 crore to around Rs 15 crore as part of a proposed swap involving Kuldeep Yadav moving the other way.
The decision highlights Pant's desire to return to the franchise he called home for nearly a decade. While his departure from Delhi before the IPL 2025 mega auction followed differences with management, changes behind the scenes, with JSW assuming full operational control for the next two years, have reopened the door to a reunion.
The proposed trade also marks a remarkable shift in direction for LSG. After signing Pant for a record Rs 27 crore ahead of IPL 2025, owner Sanjiv Goenka declared that the wicketkeeper-batter was "going to be the best captain in IPL". The move, however, failed to deliver the expected results.
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LSG finished seventh in 2025 and bottom of the table in 2026, while Pant won only 10 of his 28 matches as captain. With the bat, he scored 581 runs across two seasons at an average of 26.4 and a strike rate of 135.74, both below his career T20 standards.
The deal would also represent a homecoming for both players. Pant, who represents Delhi in domestic cricket, is set to return to the franchise where he spent eight seasons before his move to Lucknow. He scored 3,284 runs in 111 IPL matches for DC at an average of 35.31 and a strike rate of 148.93. Pant also enjoyed a successful stint as captain, leading the franchise in 44 matches across the 2021, 2022 and 2024 seasons and winning 24 of them.
Kuldeep, meanwhile, is poised to join the franchise representing his home state of Uttar Pradesh. The left-arm wrist-spinner revived his IPL career after moving to Delhi in 2022, taking 72 wickets in 65 matches for the Capitals. Overall, he has claimed 112 wickets in 110 IPL appearances, giving LSG one of the tournament's most accomplished spin bowlers.
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