Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant is all set to return home after a poor performance with Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Pant failed as both captain and batsman at LSG and even lost his place in India’s white-ball setup.
Pant became the most expensive player in IPL history when Lucknow Super Giants bought him for ₹27 crore ahead of the 2025 season. However, the Indian star’s two years with LSG were not at all memorable. The left-handed batsman scored 269 runs in the 2025 season and 312 runs in IPL 2026.
LSG finished seventh in 2025 and then slipped to the bottom of the points table in 2026. Following his struggles as both a batsman and captain, Pant stepped down as LSG captain. However, the Indian wicketkeeper is still a part of the Lucknow franchise.
Rishabh Pant and Delhi Capitals come together again
Now, a latest report from Times of India suggests that Rishabh Pant is returning to Delhi Capitals (DC), where he started his IPL career and later became the captain.
Reports say, ‘Pant is very likely to return to Delhi Capitals’ as he is set to part ways with Lucknow Supergiants ahead of IPL 2027. Furthermore, Kuldeep Yadav is set to join LSG.
However, there is no clarity on whether Pant will return to DC as captain or not. Notably, Axar Patel has been leading the franchise for the last few seasons, but there is a possibility of a change in leadership. Rahul is also being seen as a strong captaincy option by the team management, but no official decision has been taken yet.
Well, Rishabh Pant represented Delhi Capitals in nine memorable seasons from 2016 to 2024. During this period, he played 111 matches and established himself as one of the team’s biggest stars. Pant joined DC as a young talent and developed into a match-winner and earned a place in Team India.
He also led the Delhi franchise in its final two seasons, replacing Shreyas Iyer. Nevertheless, the left-handed batsman was released by the Delhi side ahead of IPL 2025, which surprised many fans and cricket experts. Although they tried hard to bring back Pant in the IPL 2025 mega auction, LSG broke the bank for them.
Pant has gone through difficult times recently. The wicketkeeper-batsman has struggled to score runs consistently and has failed to make an impact in limited overs cricket. As a result, he has been dropped from India’s ODI and T20 squads.
His aggressive batting style, which once made him a match-winner, no longer counts. The BCCI removed Pant from the vice-captaincy role and handed over the responsibility to KL Rahul after he led India during their disappointing 0-2 defeat in the home Test series against South Africa.