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'Delhi, what exactly are you guys doing?' - Aakash Chopra questions DC's trades ahead of IPL 2027

Delhi Capitals have made two pre-season trades ahead of IPL 2027, but former cricketer Aakash Chopra has questioned whether the moves strengthen the franchise. In the first deal, DC sent off-spinner Kuldeep Yadav—one of the league’s most effective bowlers—to Lucknow Super Giants in exchange for Rishabh Pant, who rejoined the team for INR 15 crore after LSG acquired him for INR 27 crore in the 2025 auction.

The second trade saw Delhi offload T Natarajan, a spinner purchased for INR 10.75 crore in 2025 but used sparingly (five wickets in 10 matches at an average of 71.20), for left-arm spinner Zeeshan Ansari, who has yet to prove himself in the IPL beyond six wickets in 10 games for Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2025. Chopra criticized both transactions, arguing that Delhi’s spin attack has been weakened without a clear replacement for Yadav, while Pant’s return offers limited flexibility in the batting order.

The franchise also overhauled its coaching staff post-IPL 2026, replacing head coach Hemang Badani, assistant coach Ian Bell, and bowling coach Munaf Patel with Sourav Ganguly and Yuvraj Singh ahead of the 2027 mini-auction in Goa, scheduled for December 2026.

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