Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants have completed a historic trade, sending Rishabh Pant back to Delhi and Kuldeep Yadav to Lucknow. Pant took a significant 44% pay cut for this emotional homecoming, a move that has generated widespread discussion among cricket fans ahead of IPL 2027.
After a week of speculations and reports, it has been officially confirmed that the Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants completed the much-anticipated trade deal involving Rishabh Pant and Kuldeep Yadav ahead of the IPL 2027.
It’s been a month since the IPL 2026 concluded, and the rumour mill has finally culminated in one of the most shocking player swaps in tournament history. The trade deal saw Rishabh Pant returning to the Delhi Capitals, where he spent nine IPL seasons, while Kuldeep Yadav headed to the Lucknow Super Giants as part of the swap.
The trade deal was already in talks between the DC and LSG before they officially announced it to the public, following the BCCI’s approval of the paperwork, setting the stage for one of the most talked-about moves of the off-season.
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Pant Takes 44% Paycut for Emotional Homecoming
After spending two seasons with Lucknow Super Giants, where he captained the side after being acquired for a record INR 27 crore in the 2025 mega-auction, Rishabh Pant is officially making a sensational return to the Delhi Capitals.
To facilitate this emotional homecoming to the franchise where he spent the first nine years of his IPL career, the star wicketkeeper-batter has agreed to take a pay cut of 44%, reducing his salary from INR 27 crore to INR 15 crore per season. This significant financial adjustment clears the way for him to rejoin the team where he originally made his name, sparking immense excitement among the fan base.
Kuldeep Yadav, on the other hand, moved to the opposition direction for INR 13.5 crore, 25 lakhs more than his previous retention salary of INR 13.25 crore. The total money involved in this IPL trade deal amounts to a staggering INR 28.5 crore in combined player values, making it one of the most high-stakes swaps in the history of the league.
Though Delhi Capitals managed to bring back Rishabh Pant, under the leadership of Parth Jindal, the franchise will reportedly pay INR 13.75 crore in cash adjustments to LSG to balance out the overall valuation of the trade. This will take the total deal amount to INR 42.25 crore for the Delhi-based franchise, factoring in both the player valuations and the additional balancing fee.
Rishabh Pant and Kuldeep Yadav were teammates at the Delhi Capitals for five seasons, and now, they will continue to be part of high-stakes IPL dynamics, albeit in different camps as the league gears up for another thrilling cycle.
Fans React to Pant–Kuldeep Mega Swap Deal
Rishabh Pant and Kuldeep Yadav’s blockbuster swap between the Delhi Capitals and the Lucknow Super Giants triggered massive reactions on social media, especially X (formerly Twitter), with fans and cricket enthusiasts giving their takes on the high-profile trade.
Taking to their X handles, fans and cricket enthusiasts expressed mixed emotions over the blockbuster swap, with many celebrating Rishabh Pant’s emotional return to Delhi Capitals, others praising Kuldeep Yadav’s move to Lucknow Super Giants, his home-state franchise, while some debated the fairness of the deal and called it one of the most dramatic trades in IPL history.
Others highlighted it as a ‘win-win' trade, noting Pant’s emotional return to DC and Kuldeep’s upgraded role at LSG, while some called it a defining off-season move that could reshape both franchises ahead of IPL 2027.
Rishabh Pant spent two seasons with Lucknow Super Giants, leading the side to 10 wins in 28 outings and amassing 581 runs, including a century and 2 fifties, at an average of 26.40 and a strike rate of 135.74.
Kuldeep Yadav, on the other hand, was one of the key bowlers for the Delhi Capitals, picking 72 wickets, including 3 four-wicket hauls, at an average of 26.30 and an economy rate of 8.64 in 65 matches.
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