Rishabh Pant is set to rejoin his former IPL franchise, Delhi Capitals, where he began his career. After spending two seasons with Lucknow Super Giants, a stint that did not quite work out for him, Pant now appears ready for a homecoming. Amid the developments, former India cricketer Dodda Ganesh has urged KL Rahul to leave Delhi Capitals if the move goes through.A blockbuster trade is on the cards, with Pant set to join Delhi Capitals while Kuldeep Yadav moves to Lucknow Super Giants. It is reliably learnt that the deal is almost finalized, with the official paperwork currently with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).KL Rahul was acquired by Delhi Capitals for Rs 14 crore at the IPL 2025 mega auction and has performed exceptionally well during his two seasons with the franchise. In his debut season for DC, Rahul finished as the team’s leading run-scorer, amassing 539 runs in 13 innings at an average of 53.90 and a strike rate of 149.72. Retained for Rs 14 crore ahead of IPL 2026, Rahul completely transformed his T20 approach and played with immense attacking intent. Across 14 matches, he scored 593 runs at an average of 45.62 and a blistering strike rate of 174.41.Despite Rahul’s success, Ganesh believes the wicketkeeper-batter should consider entering the auction if Pant returns to Delhi.“KL Rahul should ask for release and go to the auction if Pant comes back,” Ganesh wrote on X .KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant endured contrasting IPL 2026 campaigns. While Rahul led Delhi Capitals’ batting charts as their highest run-scorer, Pant struggled for a second consecutive season with Lucknow Super Giants.Pant, who joined LSG for Rs 27 crore, managed just 312 runs during the IPL 2026 season. Under his captaincy, the franchise finished at the bottom of the points table, following which Pant stepped down as captain. Before joining LSG, Pant spent nine seasons with Delhi Capitals, playing 111 matches between 2016 and 2024. He also captained the franchise in 43 matches across three seasons before being released ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction.On the other hand, Rahul enjoyed another prolific season, scoring 593 runs in 14 matches at a strike rate of 174.41. His highest score was an unbeaten 152 against Punjab Kings at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
