- By Sunny Daud
- Sat, 20 Jun 2026 03:20 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif has warned Delhi Capitals (DC) against trading Kuldeep Yadav to Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in exchange for Rishabh Pant, saying it would be a serious mistake. He feels the franchise should not make rushed decisions based on just one poor season.
The reported swap has been doing the rounds in recent days, with talk that discussions between the two franchises are now quite advanced. Both Pant and Kuldeep had a below-par IPL season, and neither player was able to deliver the kind of performances expected from them. As a result, both Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants failed to reach the playoffs.
As per reports, the proposed move would see Rishabh Pant return to Delhi Capitals, while Kuldeep Yadav would head to Lucknow Super Giants.
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“If Delhi send Kuldeep to LSG, there can’t be a bigger mistake than this. Forget this one year. You don’t judge a player in one year. Ganguly is also there. He always says not to judge someone who is playing for 10 years on the form of one season," Kaif said while speaking on his YouTube channel.
“If you panic at this time, which KKR did, Delhi picked Kuldeep and then see what he did except this one season. It will give you a clear picture," Kaif said.
Kuldeep had a mixed IPL season this year. He also spent a lot of India’s T20 World Cup campaign on the bench, but overall, he has been a key bowler for Delhi Capitals since 2022, picking up 72 wickets in 65 matches with an economy rate of 8.24.
On the other hand, Pant’s time with Lucknow Super Giants over the last two seasons did not go as planned. As captain, he managed 10 wins and 18 losses, scoring 581 runs at an average of 26.4 and a strike rate of 135.74.
Kaif also strongly defended Kuldeep, saying the spinner is often blamed unfairly during tough phases despite his unique skill set. He added that Delhi Capitals’ poor season was due to several issues across the team, not just one player, and warned against making Kuldeep the scapegoat.