Biggest pay cuts in IPL history: Where Rishabh Pant's ₹12 crore salary drop ranks after LSG-DC trade

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Biggest pay cuts in IPL history: Where Rishabh Pant's ₹12 crore salary drop ranks after LSG-DC trade originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:​

• Rishabh Pant returns to Delhi Capitals from LSG, taking a INR 12 crore pay cut.
• Kuldeep Yadav moves to Lucknow as part of the same swap deal.
• Pant joins a list of stars who suffered massive IPL salary corrections.

Rishabh Pant's big DC move comes with an even bigger pay cut​

One of the IPL's most talked-about swap deals has finally been sealed, with Kuldeep Yadav heading to Lucknow Super Giants while Rishabh Pant makes his way back to Delhi Capitals.

The breakup followed a tough IPL 2026 campaign in which Lucknow finished rock bottom of the table, with Pant also failing to deliver consistently with the bat across his two years there.

He had arrived at LSG for a then-record Rs 27 crore ahead of the 2025 season, a fee that briefly made him the most expensive player in IPL history.

But after underwhelming returns both as captain and batter, the franchise opted to move on from him, sending him back to Delhi for Rs 15 crore, a steep Rs 12 crore reduction from his previous price tag.

MORE: Kuldeep-Rishabh trade: Top 5 player swaps in IPL history listed

LIST: The biggest pay-cuts in IPL history​

This kind of swing isn't unusual in the IPL, where a player's price can drop based on form, team needs, and how an auction unfolds. Pant's own numbers tell the story as he managed just 269 runs in 2025 and 312 the following year.

It is a stretch during which LSG dropped from seventh place all the way to the bottom of the standings under his leadership. And he isn't the only big name to take a hit, either.

MORE: 'It was always going to happen': David Warner reacts with laughing emojis to Rishabh Pant's DC return

Venkatesh Iyer's salary fell sharply from Rs 23.75 crore at Kolkata Knight Riders to Rs 7 crore at Royal Challengers Bengaluru within a year, while Sam Curran suffered an even steeper percentage drop, going from Rs 18.5 crore with Punjab Kings to just Rs 2.4 crore on his return to Chennai Super Kings.

Pace bowlers Mitchell Starc, Kyle Jamieson, and Jhye Richardson have all faced similarly harsh corrections.

Player	Previous Salary	New Salary	Pay Cut
Venkatesh Iyer	Rs 23.75 crore	Rs 7 crore	Rs 16.75 crore
Sam Curran	Rs 18.5 crore	Rs 2.4 crore	Rs 16.1 crore
Kyle Jamieson	Rs 15 crore	Rs 1 crore	Rs 14 crore
Mitchell Starc	Rs 24.75 crore	Rs 11.75 crore	Rs 13 crore
Jhye Richardson	Rs 14 crore	Rs 1.5 crore	Rs 12.5 crore
Rishabh Pant	Rs 27 crore	Rs 15 crore	Rs 12 crore

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