Key facts
- Pant accepts 44.4% pay cut to join Delhi Capitals
- Moving from Lucknow Super Giants for IPL 2027
- One of the biggest transfer stories of the IPL 2027 auction cycle
Rishabh Pant has agreed to a 44.4% reduction in his salary to secure a return to Delhi Capitals for IPL 2027, leaving Lucknow Super Giants in one of the most headline-grabbing moves of the auction season, Business Standard reported on Monday.
Pant had been with Lucknow Super Giants as one of the marquee players in recent IPL seasons, but his heart has long been associated with Delhi Capitals, where he first made his name in franchise cricket and became a fan favourite. The willingness to absorb such a steep pay cut reflects both his attachment to the Delhi franchise and, potentially, the broader context of IPL player valuations.
The move will be closely analysed across the cricketing world for what it signals about player-franchise dynamics in the IPL. For Delhi Capitals, landing Pant — even at a reduced fee — represents a significant coup: a world-class wicketkeeper-batter whose aggressive style defines the modern T20 game.
For fans in Delhi, the return of Pant is a moment of celebration, while questions will inevitably be asked about what Lucknow Super Giants do to fill the enormous gap he leaves behind.