In a series of surprising events, former Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) skipper Rishabh Pant is all set to re-unit with his former side Delhi Capitals (DC), while Kuldeep Yadav will head to the Lucknow-based side in a big trade deal.
Before a two-year stint with the Lucknow-based franchise, Pant represented DC for nine seasons. The star left-handed batter played 111 games which happens to be the most by any DC player and became one of the poster boys of the franchise before becoming the captain of the side in the 2021 season. However, the star India player left DC after the end of 2024 edition.
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What happened in the trade deal?
At the IPL 2025 auction, Pant was acquired by Lucknow Super Giants for a whopping amount of Rs 27 crore, which happened to be a bad investment, as the wicketkeeper-batter had endured two underwhelming seasons as both captain and a player.
After the trade deal, Rishabh will come back to DC at a revised fee of INR 15 crore. Whereas, star spinner Kuldeep Yadav will head to LSG after a great time at the Axar Patel-led side at his existing fee of INR 13.50 crore.
How Rishabh Pant played in IPL 2026?
The left-handed batter endured an underwhelming season, both individually and as the skipper of the side. Pant failed to find consistency with the bat throughout the season, and faced heat for lack of form despite being paid a hefty amount of money.
In 14 games, the star batter managed to amass only 312 runs at an average of 28.36 at an underwhelming strike rate of 138.05. His highest score of 68 came against Sunrisers Hyderabad in a league stage game.
How Kuldeep Yadav fared in IPL 2026
The star chinaman bowler found it hard to clinch wickets with consistency, as he managed to take only 10 wickets in 12 games at a high economy rate of 10.30. There is no doubt that his underwhelming form led to his departure from DC.