Aakash Chopra questions Delhi Capitals trades ahead of IPL 2027
Aakash Chopra questioned whether Delhi Capitals improved their squad through trades that sent Kuldeep Yadav to LSG and T Natarajan to SRH. He said rival franchises gained more from both deals.
Aakash Chopra questioned Delhi Capitals' recent trades, asking whether the franchise is better off after sending Kuldeep Yadav to Lucknow Super Giants for Rishabh Pant and T Natarajan to Sunrisers Hyderabad for Zeeshan Ansari. He said LSG and SRH stood to gain more from both deals.
Delhi Capitals failed to qualify for the playoffs in IPL 2026 and have since overhauled their coaching staff. Sourav Ganguly and Yuvraj Singh were announced as new members of the coaching setup ahead of the IPL 2027 mini-auction. Kuldeep Yadav was among the most productive spinners during his time with the franchise.
Chopra said the franchise needed a spinner to replace Kuldeep but questioned whether Zeeshan Ansari filled that role. He added that Rishabh Pant's return raised further questions about middle-order requirements and squad balance.
CricHubb Take
Chopra's critique suggests Delhi Capitals may have prioritised star power over squad balance, a pattern that risks repeating the structural problems that kept them out of the playoffs in 2026.