The IPL has witnessed one of the biggest moves in recent memory as a transfer window Rishabh pants completed the transition Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for Delhi Capitals (DC). Pant bought by LSG for a record ₹27 crore IPL 2025 auctionwill now represent Delhi for ₹15 crore Kuldeep Yadav going in the opposite direction on the existing ₹ 13.5 crore deal.
The trade has sparked widespread debate among fans and pundits alike, with many debating which franchise is stronger from the deal. Former India opener Akash Chopra recently shared his thoughts on the transfer and explained why he feels Lucknow got more from the exchange.
Aakash Chopra endorses LSG as the biggest winner of the trade
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chopra admitted that Pant’s move was due to a significant pay cut and highlighted how significant the difference was.
“If you think about pay cuts, layoffs and limited job opportunities in your life, just think about Rishabh Pant. A guy was earning ₹27 crore and now he will earn only 15. One is a little surprised when he says only 15, but 15 because it was ₹27 crore. That means people will not be able to take a cut of 12 crore in their entire life” Chopra noted.
The former cricketer further explained that Pant’s presence has made Lucknow’s batting combinations difficult in the last two seasons. According to Chopra, the franchise has struggled to find the ideal wicketkeeper-batsman position due to the number of top-order and overseas batting options already available in the squad.
“I really feel that Lucknow won more. Their batting order was not settled because all four of their overseas players were batsmen and then the Indian batsmen included Rishabh Pant, Ayush Badoni and Mukul Choudhary. So you couldn’t bat it before No. 5. It went down and the combination didn’t build.” Chopra observed.
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Questions remain over Pant’s role at Delhi Capitals
While Chopra admitted that Pant’s return would certainly boost the Delhi Capitals, he admitted that he was uncertain about where the left-hander would fit into the batting line-up. The analyst noted that DC already has several batting options, including Nitish Rana, Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, Samir Rizvi and Ashutosh Sharma. As a result, he questioned whether Pant’s arrival has solved the major problem in the squad.
“From Delhi’s point of view, I still wonder where he will bat because they have a lot of opening options, Nitish Rana has started well at No.3 and then they have a good middle order in Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, Sameer Rizvi and Ashutosh Sharma,” Chopra said.
He further emphasized that it will not be easy for the Capitals to replace a bowler of Kuldeep’s quality. Chopra described the acquisition of Kuldeep as a big boost for LSG, stressing that quality Indian wrist spinners remain one of the rarest commodities in franchise cricket. He even suggested that Lucknow may make further changes to their overseas set-up in the future, with Kuldeep’s arrival helping them achieve a better squad balance. IPL 2027.
