The IPL announced one of its most significant trades on June 23, 2026. Rishabh Pant moves back to Delhi Capitals, and Kuldeep Yadav heads to Lucknow Super Giants.
The deal swaps two India internationals between the two franchises and reshapes both squads ahead of IPL 2027. Here is a closer look at the numbers and the context behind the trade.
Pant – Kuldeep Trade At a Glance
| Player | Moves From | Moves To | Previous Fee | New Fee | Franchise Stint |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rishabh Pant | Lucknow Super Giants | Delhi Capitals | INR 27 crore | INR 15 crore | 9 seasons with DC (2016-2024), 111 matches, captain in 43 matches |
| Kuldeep Yadav | Delhi Capitals | Lucknow Super Giants | INR 13.5 crore | INR 13.5 crore | 5 seasons with DC (2022-2026), 72 wickets in 65 matches |
Pant – Yadav The Trade Deal Explained
The IPL governing council officially confirmed the trade through a media advisory. Pant returns to Delhi Capitals, and Kuldeep Yadav joins Lucknow Super Giants. The board described it as one of the most significant player trades in recent IPL history, given the profile of both players.
LSG had signed Pant for INR 27 crore at the IPL 2025 mega auction. That bid remains the highest in IPL auction history. As part of the trade, Pant moves to DC for a revised fee of INR 15 crore, a drop of INR 12 crore from his LSG price.
That works out to a pay cut of close to 44 percent, one of the steepest in IPL trade history. Kuldeep’s price, on the other hand, stays unchanged. He joins LSG at his existing fee of INR 13.5 crore.
Two Familiar Faces, Two New Homes
Pant is no stranger to Delhi Capitals. He played nine seasons for the franchise between 2016 and 2024 and made 111 appearances, the most by any player in DC’s history. He was also a core part of the franchise’s leadership group, captaining the side in 43 matches across four seasons from 2021 to 2024.
Kuldeep joined Delhi Capitals in 2022 and built a strong run with the franchise across five seasons. The left-arm wrist spinner picked up 72 wickets in 65 matches for DC, at an economy rate of 8.24, making him one of the side’s most reliable wicket-takers through that stretch. He will represent Lucknow for the first time in his IPL career.
A Season Both Players Will Want to Forget
The trade follows a difficult season for both stars. Pant managed 312 runs in 13 innings at a strike rate of 138.05 while leading LSG, who finished bottom of the points table with just four wins from 14 games. Kuldeep also struggled at DC, returning only around 10 wickets across his bowling innings in IPL 2026 at an economy rate above 10, well below his usual standards.
Pant gave up the LSG captaincy shortly after IPL 2026 ended. The move followed comments from LSG team director Tom Moody, who suggested the franchise wanted to reset its leadership after finishing seventh in 2024, seventh in 2025, and last in 2026 under Pant.
What the Trade Means for Both Franchises
Since Pant’s new DC fee of INR 15 crore is well below his old LSG fee of INR 27 crore, Lucknow frees up a meaningful chunk of purse space ahead of the IPL 2027 auction. Delhi Capitals, on the other hand, see a smaller adjustment, since Pant’s incoming fee is higher than what Kuldeep’s exit frees up.
Conclusion: Rishabh Pant Returns to DC and Kuldeep Left DC for LSG
Coming straight off the back of CSK’s high-profile trade involving Ravindra Jadeja earlier in the year, the Pant-Kuldeep swap signals that IPL franchises are increasingly willing to use trades, not just auctions, to reshape their squads.
With both players returning to familiar settings, the move gives DC a senior wicketkeeper-batter with deep franchise history and gives LSG a proven wicket-taking spinner heading into the new season.
Both franchises will be hoping the change of scenery sparks a turnaround after a forgettable IPL 2026, and all eyes will now turn to how Pant and Kuldeep perform in their new colours come IPL 2027.
