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- Cricbuzz understands Rishabh Pant is set to rejoin Delhi Capitals in an IPL 2027 trade, with formal discussions already underway with LSG
- Pant is likely to accept a substantial pay cut from his record Rs 27 crore LSG deal
- KL Rahul is DC's frontrunner for the IPL 2027 captaincy, with Pant unlikely to get the role back
Rishabh Pant may return to DC from LSG in IPL 2027 trade
Cricbuzz reports Rishabh Pant is set to end his troubled two-year stint at Lucknow Super Giants and return to Delhi Capitals for IPL 2027, with DC having already initiated formal trade discussions with LSG to bring their record ₹27 crore signing back to the franchise.
The return will not come at the same financial terms Pant enjoyed at LSG. He commanded a record Rs 27 crore at the 2025 mega auction, but two deeply disappointing campaigns in which LSG finished seventh and then last have significantly reduced his standing in any new contract negotiation.
JUST IN 🚨
Cricbuzz reliably understands that Rishabh Pant is set to return to Delhi Capitals
DC have already initiated a trade with Lucknow Super Giants
Pant is likely to take a substantial pay cut as part of the move
Unlikely that Pant will captain DC pic.twitter.com/4RODbeDMkz— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) June 19, 2026
Cricbuzz reports the trade is likely to involve a substantial pay cut for Pant, a drop from both his Rs 27 crore LSG deal and the Rs 16 crore he earned at DC from 2022 to 2024 before the franchise chose not to match LSG's record-breaking bid in Jeddah.
Pant's pay cut and role at DC
Pant earned Rs 1.9 crore at Delhi Daredevils in 2016, climbed to Rs 8 crore from 2018 to 2021 following his international breakthrough, and was retained as captain at Rs 16 crore from 2022 to 2024. His Rs 27 crore deal at LSG, funded by a bidding war between four franchises, proved a financial peak his output at Lucknow never justified.
Beyond salary, Pant is also unlikely to return as captain. Cricbuzz reports DC are not expected to hand him the leadership role, meaning he would rejoin as a batter and first-choice wicketkeeper rather than the man who set the team's direction in his previous stint. His recent drop in form will also be a major deal-breaker for the Capitals.
The franchise has been struggling to reach the playoffs for the last five seasons, with their last playoff performance coming in 2021, when they topped the group stage.
With that in mind, making Pant the captain seems to be unlikely. However, while the wicketkeeper might not be the captain DC needs, his presence in the team will provide the veteran insights that will help them to play better.
MORE: IPL 2027 trade rumour: DC and LSG to execute Rishabh Pant's Delhi homecoming with Kuldeep Yadav swap
Why KL Rahul is the likely captain
Instead of Pant, there's another player who remains the man to get Delhi's captaincy. The Times of India reports KL Rahul as the frontrunner for the DC captaincy in IPL 2027. The 34-year-old scored 593 runs in 14 matches during IPL 2026, including an unbeaten 152 off 67 balls against Punjab Kings, making him the first Indian to score 150-plus in an IPL match.
Kuldeep Yadav is reportedly heading to LSG as part of the trade. The left-arm wrist-spinner has been with DC since 2022 and was retained at Rs 13.25 crore ahead of IPL 2025, but his form collapsed in 2027, and he was dropped from the playing XI entirely.
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Deepanjan Mitra
Deepanjan Mitra is a content writer and editor based in India, with extensive experience working across a variety of sports. He combines a passion for storytelling with an ability to deliver insightful news, analysis, and feature stories and has previously worked for the likes of Sports Illustrated and Essentially Sports.
Source: Cricketnews.com
