NEW DELHI: Rishabh Pant had a simple message for Lucknow Super Giants after their return to Delhi Capitals was confirmed on Tuesday. The wicketkeeper-batter took to Instagram Stories and shared LSG’s farewell post, writing just three words: “Thank you team.“The message came shortly after the high-profile trade of Pant back 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 had joined Lucknow for a record Rs 27 crore ahead of IPL 2025, making him the most expensive player in IPL history at the moment.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 defeats. The following season was even tougher as the Pant-led side finished bottom of the 10-team table with just four wins from 14 matches.Pant scored 269 runs in 14 matches during IPL 2025. In IPL 2026, he managed 312 runs and registered only one half-century.
The move will see Pant take 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 2025 IPL auction and also captained the side from 2021 to 2024, leading in 43 matches.Interestingly, when LSG signed Pant, owner Sanjiv Goenka described the deal as a long-term investment. But after two difficult seasons, the franchise decided to part ways with the star wicketkeeper-batter.As part of the trade, left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav moved from Delhi Capitals to Lucknow Super Giants with his existing salary of Rs 13.50 crore.Kuldeep had been a key performer for Delhi since he joined the franchise in 2022. He claimed 72 wickets in 65 matches. However, he did not have a good IPL 2026 season, taking just 10 wickets in 14 matches while conceding runs at a cheap rate of 10.30.