Aakash Chopra criticises Delhi Capitals trade deals for IPL 2027
Aakash Chopra says Delhi Capitals lost out in trades for Rishabh Pant and Zeeshan Ansari.
Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra has criticised Delhi Capitals for their trade deals ahead of the IPL 2027 season. He questioned the franchise's decision to acquire Rishabh Pant and Zeeshan Ansari while losing Kuldeep Yadav and T Natarajan.
Chopra said Delhi Capitals had been the losers in both deals. He noted that Kuldeep Yadav was difficult to replace and questioned whether Pant was needed given the team's middle order options. He also pointed out that Lucknow Super Giants and Sunrisers Hyderabad benefited from the trades.
Delhi Capitals have not reached the playoffs in the last five seasons. The franchise has made several changes ahead of IPL 2027, including appointing Sourav Ganguly as head coach and Yuvraj Singh as batting coach. The deals will also free up funds for the December mini-auction.
CricHubb Take
The criticism highlights how Delhi Capitals' squad-building strategy prioritises marquee names over proven T20 specialists, a pattern that has kept them out of the playoffs for five straight seasons.