Lucknow Super Giants has made the first trade of the IPL 2027 season by sending captain Rishabh Pant back to his former franchise, Delhi Capitals, in exchange for left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav. Pant, who was signed by LSG for a record Rs 27 crore in 2025, will now return to Delhi on a revised salary of Rs 15 crore. Kuldeep, on the other hand, joins LSG on a Rs 13.5 crore contract.
This trade marks the second instance of a marquee player accepting a pay cut as part of a high-profile IPL trade. In 2026, Chennai Super Kings traded Ravindra Jadeja for Rajasthan Royals’ captain Sanju Samson, with Jadeja’s salary decreasing from Rs 18 crore to Rs 14 crore post-trade.
For Lucknow, acquiring Kuldeep brings one of the league’s top wrist-spinners to their team. The Uttar Pradesh cricketer, who had a relatively quiet 2026 season after being on the bench during India’s T20 World Cup victory, was a key performer for Delhi Capitals in the previous four seasons. He claimed 72 wickets in 65 matches at an economy rate of 8.24 since joining the franchise in 2022.
Overall, this trade reshapes the rosters of both teams and adds excitement to the upcoming IPL season. Fans will be eager to see how Pant and Kuldeep perform in their new environments, and how these changes impact the competitiveness of both Lucknow Super Giants and Delhi Capitals.
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