Delhi Capitals have completed two separate trades ahead of the IPL 2027 season, and former cricketer Aakash Chopra has publicly questioned whether the franchise has improved itself through either deal. The moves come after DC failed to qualify for the playoffs in IPL 2026, a campaign that also prompted the franchise to overhaul its coaching staff.
In the first trade, Delhi Capitals sent Kuldeep Yadav to Lucknow Super Giants in exchange for Rishabh Pant, who returned to the franchise at a value of INR 15 crore. LSG had originally acquired Pant for INR 27 crore at the IPL 2025 mega auction. In the second move, DC traded T Natarajan to Sunrisers Hyderabad and received left-arm spinner Zeeshan Ansari in return. Natarajan had been one of DC's bigger buys at the previous mega auction, costing the franchise INR 10.75 crore, but he featured in only 12 matches across his two seasons with the side. In IPL 2026, he managed just five wickets in 10 matches at an average of 71.20.
Off the field, Delhi Capitals parted ways with head coach Hemang Badani, assistant coach Ian Bell and bowling coach Munaf Patel following the IPL 2026 season. Sourav Ganguly and Yuvraj Singh were subsequently announced as new members of the coaching staff ahead of the IPL 2027 mini-auction, which is scheduled to take place in Goa in December 2026. Chopra argued that the franchises on the other side of each deal stood to benefit more than Delhi Capitals.
"Earlier, they let go of Kuldeep Yadav and got Rishabh Pant in return. Now they have let go of T Natarajan and have got Zeeshan Ansari in return, and I ask this question Delhi, 'Are you better off?' Because the Kuldeep Yadav deal, how many spinners like him are there in the country? It is almost impossible to replace Kuldeep Yadav. Rishabh Pant, did you need him? He is a good player, but do you need him? Do you have a place in the middle order? Can you put him in the top order? So, LSG were beneficiaries in that deal," Chopra wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
Has Delhi Capitals weakened their spin attack by trading Kuldeep Yadav?
Kuldeep Yadav was among the most productive spinners in the IPL during his time with Delhi Capitals, and Chopra's central concern is that no direct replacement of comparable quality has arrived. With Axar Patel and Vipraj Nigam already in the squad, DC moved to add Ansari through the Natarajan trade to address the gap left by Kuldeep's departure. Ansari made his IPL debut with Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2025, featuring in 10 matches and picking up six wickets that season. He did not appear in a single match in IPL 2026 as SRH turned to fellow wrist spinner Shivang Kumar instead. Chopra expanded on his concerns about the spin department and the broader squad picture.
"Now you need a spinner to replace Kuldeep Yadav. You have Vipraj Nigam and Axar Patel, so you went for Zeeshan Ansari. You had to release T Natarajan, there is no doubt about it. You may also have to release Auqib Nabi and Mukesh Kumar as well. But after all this, are you better off? That is the question you must need to ask. I must say, I am not convinced yet. As far as the trades are concerned, LSG would be the happier from the Kuldeep-Pant trade, and now SRH will be happier. So Delhi, what exactly are you guys doing," Chopra said.
Will the Rishabh Pant return solve Delhi Capitals' batting concerns?
Rishabh Pant's return to Delhi Capitals was the headline element of the first trade, but Chopra questioned whether the franchise actually needed him given the composition of their existing batting order. Pant was acquired by LSG for INR 27 crore at the IPL 2025 mega auction before returning to DC at a significantly lower value of INR 15 crore through the trade involving Kuldeep.
The central question Chopra raised was whether DC have a defined role for Pant, either in the middle order or at the top of the innings, and whether that role justifies the loss of a specialist wrist spinner of Kuldeep's calibre. The IPL 2027 mini-auction in Goa in December 2026 will give DC an opportunity to address remaining gaps in their squad before the season begins.
