Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra has suggested that Lucknow Super Giants should look to acquire Ashutosh Sharma along with Kuldeep Yadav in exchange for Rishabh pant after IPL 2026. It has been reported that LSG would trade Pant to Delhi Capitals and they are all set to get Kuldeep Yadav in a trade deal. 

Pant was bought for a whopping amount of INR 27 crore in the IPL 2025 mega auction but the wicket-keeper bat could not deliver while leading in two seasons. After LSG finished IPL 2026 as the wooden-spooners, Pant resigned from his captaincy position.

“It’s been heard that Rishabh Pant is going to Delhi. Did DC have a major middle-order problem? They didn’t have that big a problem when they played Tristan Stubbs and David Miller together, and Nitish Rana also eventually scored good runs there. Axar Patel is there. They didn’t use Ashutosh Sharma well. Sameer Rizvi had started well. It’s not a bad team,” Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube Channel.

Chopra highlighted that Kuldeep Yadav will be a great addition to the LSG squad.

“Kuldeep Yadav is a great acquisition, if it happens, because they don’t have spinners. Digvesh Rathi has not had a good season, and Shahbaz Ahmed was 50-50. So if you get an Indian spinner like Kuldeep Yadav, it will be a brilliant addition to the fast bowling army they have prepared, and Kuldeep should do well on this big ground,” he elaborated.

The former Delhi cricketer reckons LSG should ask for Ashutosh Sharma along with Kuldeep Yadav from Delhi Capitals.

“However, why him alone? They also need a middle-order batter. Should they not get Ashutosh Sharma along with him? At least ask for him. Rishabh Pant is very expensive, even if he is taking a pay cut, but you should get at least two players in return. I feel Kuldeep Yadav, and Ashutosh Sharma with him,” Chopra observed.