NEW DELHI: Rishabh Pant had a simple message for Lucknow Super Giants after his return to Delhi Capitals was confirmed on Tuesday. The goalkeeper took to Instagram Stories and re-shared LSG’s farewell post, writing just three words: “Thank you team.“The message came soon after Pant returned to Delhi Capitals in exchange for spinner Kuldeep Yadav.Pant’s departure from LSG ends a disappointing two-year stint with the franchise. The left-hander joined Lucknow for a record Rs 27 crore ahead of IPL 2025, making him the most expensive player in IPL history at the time.However, things did not go according to plan. As captain, Pant has struggled to turn LSG into contenders and his performances with the bat have also fallen short of expectations.LSG finished seventh in IPL 2025 with six wins and eight losses. The following season was even more difficult as the Pant-led side finished bottom of the 10-team table with just four wins from 14 games.Pant scored 269 runs in 14 matches during IPL 2025. In IPL 2026, he managed to score 312 runs and registered only one half-century.
The move means Pant has taken a pay cut of Rs 12 crore as he returns to Delhi Capitals for Rs 15 crore. He will rejoin the franchise where he spent eight seasons between 2016 and 2024.Pant played 111 matches for Delhi before entering the IPL 2025 mega auction and also captained the side from 2021 to 2024, leading them in 43 matches.Interestingly, when LSG signed Pant, owner Sanjiv Goenka described the deal as a long-term investment. But after two tough seasons, the franchise decided to part ways with the star goaltender-kicker.As part of the trade, left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav moved from Delhi Capitals to Lucknow Super Giants with his existing salary of Rs 13.50 crore.Kuldeep has been a key player for Delhi since joining the franchise in 2022. He has taken 72 wickets in 65 matches. However, he did not have a good IPL 2026 season, picking up just 10 wickets in 14 matches while conceding runs at an economy rate of 10.30.
