Cricketer Rishabh Pant (PTI photo)

IPL There’s never been a shortage of blockbuster contracts, but history shows that even the biggest stars aren’t immune to dramatic pay cuts. The latest example is Rishabh Pant, who has taken a huge pay cut following his return to Delhi Capitals after a disappointing two-year stint with Lucknow Supergiants.Pant was bought by LSG ahead of IPL 2025 for a record-breaking Rs 27 crore, making him the most expensive player in IPL history at that time. However, after two disappointing seasons as captain and batsman, the franchise decided to part ways with him. In a high-profile deal concluded ahead of IPL 2027, Pant returned to Delhi Capitals for Rs 15 crore, resulting in a massive cut of Rs 12 crore.The move highlights a recurring trend in the IPL, where player valuations can fluctuate rapidly depending on performance, team strategy and auction dynamics. Pant’s statistics with LSG never matched expectations. He scored 269 runs in IPL 2025 and followed it up with 312 runs in 2026 as the franchise slipped as low as seventh in the table under his leadership.Although Pant’s pay cut is one of the biggest in IPL history, he is not alone. Venkatesh Iyer’s salary drops from Rs 23.75 crore with Kolkata Knight Riders in 2025 to Rs 7 crore with Royal Challengers Bangalore a year later. Sam Curran suffered an even bigger drop in percentage after returning to Chennai Super Kings, falling from Rs 18.5 crore to Rs 2.4 crore at Punjab Kings.Fast bowlers Mitchell Starc, Kyle Jamieson and Jhye Richardson have also experienced sharp valuation improvement despite entering the auction with big reputations. Pant’s return to Delhi may offer a fresh start, but his move also serves as a reminder that in the IPL, prestige rarely guarantees long-term financial security.

Biggest salary cut taken by players in IPL history