‘Maybe the frustration is coming from the ownership’ – AB de Villiers’ massive claim on Rishabh Pant trade for IPL 2027

AB de Villiers said that Rishabh Pant’s departure from Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) seemed inevitable, as the wicketkeeper-batter sounded frustrated in post-match interviews during IPL 2026.

The former South African captain mentioned that the frustration could be coming from the ownership group or the coaching staff, especially because the team wasn’t doing well. LSG finished last on the points table under Pant’s leadership.

Pant returned to the Delhi Capitals (DC) with a pay cut, while LSG traded in Kuldeep Yadav for INR 13.50 crore.

“No surprises there after the season they’ve had and looking at some of his post-match interviews, there were already signs of him being frustrated and maybe the frustration is coming from the ownership and coaching staff as well. So he is returning back to DC,” he said on his YouTube channel.

De Villiers also shared his views on the ownership change in the DC setup. JSW will now be at the helm of affairs at the Capitals for the next two years, following an agreement with GMR Sports India Pvt Ltd (co-owners). Sourav Ganguly and Yuvraj Singh are also expected to join the franchise in different roles. The former Royal Challengers Bengaluru cricketer opined that too many changes will make it difficult for the players to adjust.

“Sourav Ganguly joins DC now as the director of cricket, Yuvraj also there as batting coach, with Pant returning. So we’ll see the dynamic with that. I feel it is a bit wishy-washy, doing this whole ownership change, the coaching staff comes and goes, it’s really difficult for players to react to that and have a positive mindset with all these changes taking place. It can be confusing and there is no doubt about that,” he stated.

“It is also interesting how Pant skipped the two-year GMR cycle. JSW coming back in now, we’ll see how they go with their two-year ownership. All confusing, you know, I am not a big fan of that,” he added.