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Rishabh Pant for Delhi Capitals - (Source: AFP)
On Friday, former LSG captain Rishabh Pant once again hogged the headlines after a report of his potential trade to Delhi Capitals went viral on social media. Several outlets reported that the 28-year-old has almost completed a return to his previous franchise, the Delhi Capitals, in a trade with Kuldeep Yadav to LSG.
It is no surprise that Pant struggled during his 2 year tenure with the Super Giants. His registration as a captain also fuelled his exit rumours. Now, a report from Cricbuzz stated that Pant is all set to take a massive pay cut and might return to the Delhi Capitals for just 15 crores, a significant dip from his 27 crore salary.
The trade is yet to be official, but similarly several other players are also looking for better options, even if it comes at a cost of their salary. Hence, this article will shed light on players who might follow Rishabh Pant’s path and opt for a pay cut in IPL 2027.
1. Nicholas Pooran - 21 crores
Similar to Rishabh Pant, his LSG teammate Nicholas Pooran might also be interested in a move away at a lower salary. The Caribbean superstar is facing the heat of his 21 crore salary, which is why he has had a poor IPL 0226.
In the last two IPL seasons, Nicholas Pooran’s form has dipped significantly. In IPL 2026, the 30-year-old scored just 234 runs, and there is a feeling within the LSG camp that they are thinking of releasing the West Indies play ahead of IPL 2027.
Now, LSG have a chance to trade off the left-handed batter at a lower salary and rope in a star batter around the 15 crore value.
Despite a poor IPL 2026, there is no doubt that Pooran is a class batter and can win matches on his own. Hence, he is out of form but not out of demand. His market rate is likely to be readjusted to around 12-15 crores.
Possible Trade Teams
Mumbai Indians
Pooran can go to MI, where they are looking for middle-order batters. Interestingly, Pooran plays for three of MI’s sister franchises - MI Emirates, MI Cape Town, and MI New York. Hence, he can go there and possibly trade himself with Suryakumar Yadav, who too is not having the best of times with the Mumbai Indians.
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Gujarat Titans
Gujarat Titans have a weak middle-order, and they can either go for an all-cash deal to rope in Nicholas Pooran at a discount.
Kolkata Knight Riders
KKR can also go for an all-cash deal with LSG because they recently denied trading off Rinku Singh to any franchise.
2. Suryakumar Yadav - 16. 35 crores
Suryakumar Yadav is also not having the best of times recently. Firstly, he had a poor T20 World Cup as a player, followed by a poor IPL 2026. Notably, the right-handed batter scored just 270 runs in 13 innings. It eventually led to him being stripped of the Indian captaincy, which brought his stocks down.
It is the best time for any franchise to target the former India skipper. Notably, reports suggest that SKY is not entirely happy to be playing under Hardik Pandya. Also, Tilak Varma is being touted as the next leader in the camp.
Hence, we can see SKY taking a massive cut from his whopping 16.35 crore salary and playing for a new franchise in IPL 2027.
Possible Trade Teams
Lucknow Super Giants
SKY is a UP-based boy, and he can trade with Nicholas Pooran for a value around 13-14 crores. With the potential departure of Rishabh Pant and Nicholas Pooran, LSG will be without a face, and Suryakumar Yadav has the chance to become one.
Further, LSG are yet to choose their captain, and Suryakumar Yadav can be a great captaincy choice for the Sanjiv Goenka-owned franchise.
Kolkata Knight Riders
Kolkata Knight Riders have the perfect chance of bringing SKY back and rectifying their mistake of sending the talisman to the Mumbai Indians. It will be tough for a player-to-player trade, but an all-cash deal is possible at a discounted price.
3. Pat Cummins - 18 crores
Sunrisers Hyderabad had a mixed IPL 2026. They were without Pat Cummins for the 1st half of the tournament. The Australian seamer only played 8 matches and took 8 scalps. Now, ahead of IPL 2027, the 33-year-old has already hinted that he might not be available for the entire season.
There is the ODI World Cup and the Ashes, which might force Cummins to skip a bit of IPL. In that case, SRH might even mull over trading him off. Cummins is taking 18 crores right now, and SRH have the chance to appoint Ishan Kishan as the permanent captain and look for a bowler in the trade.
The team that will look to buy Cummins can rope him in as a captain or play just as a bowler.
Possible Trade Teams
Punjab Kings
Punjab Kings lack a genuine seam bowling option. They tried several overseas options, but none of them worked. Hence, Ricky Ponting might look to bring in Pat Cummins to the team, by either releasing Yuzvendra Chahal or an all cash-deal.
Mumbai Indians
Mumbai Indians are also looking for a quality seamer to link up with Jasprit Bumrah. Hence, they will try their best to bring Pat Cummins to the side.
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