Rishabh Pant, one of India’s top wicketkeeper-batters, is gearing up for an exciting comeback to the Delhi Capitals after reportedly agreeing to a hefty salary cut of ₹12 crore. Pant, who made a name for himself in the IPL with Delhi before heading to the Lucknow Super Giants for a staggering ₹27 crore ahead of IPL 2025, is now set to return to his old team with a deal estimated at around ₹15 crore. This move signifies a significant change in his IPL career. Renowned for his dynamic batting and quick reflexes behind the stumps, Pant seems ready to shed the weight of a record contract and embrace a fresh start with the franchise where he spent nine memorable seasons.
There’s an interesting trade on the table between the Delhi Capitals and the Lucknow Super Giants that involves both a player and some cash. Kuldeep Yadav, the left-arm wrist-spinner, is gearing up to join LSG while sticking to his current contract worth ₹13.25 crore. Meanwhile, Rishabh Pant will be making his way to Delhi, but with a slightly trimmed salary of about ₹15 crore. To make everything even, the Delhi Capitals are also expected to fork out an extra ₹13.75 crore to Lucknow. This deal has reportedly been sent in for approval and will only be finalized once the IPL trade window officially opens.
Also Read | Highest ODI Partnerships Ranked: The Batting Duos Behind Historic Records
Why Did Rishabh Pant Leave LSG? What Tom Moody Said After IPL 2026
Pant’s departure from Lucknow seemed more and more inevitable after two tough seasons for both him and the franchise. Brought in as the captain and a key player, he led LSG in 28 matches, securing just 10 wins and suffering 18 losses. Unfortunately, the team failed to make the playoffs in both years, wrapping up IPL 2026 at the very bottom of the standings. On the batting front, Pant scored 581 runs over the two seasons, with an average of 26.4 and a strike rate of 135.74 – figures that fall short of his usual T20 performance.
Not long after the 2026 season wrapped up, Pant let the franchise know he wanted to step down from his captaincy role. LSG’s team director, Tom Moody, later hinted that “Rishabh approached the franchise with his request and we have respectfully accepted it. These decisions are never easy. We are grateful for everything Rishabh has brought to this dressing room as captain. Our focus now is on the collective – rebuilding and restructuring to reach the best standards.”
With this in mind, conversations about Pant’s future began to pick up steam.
In the meantime, Delhi Capitals have stepped up as the top contender. Sources indicate that Pant is open to coming back without insisting on a leadership position. His choice to take a pay cut has cleared the way for the trade to happen. If everything goes through, Pant will return to the team where he blossomed into one of the IPL’s standout players, while Lucknow will benefit from having the seasoned spinner Kuldeep Yadav in their side.
