Lucknow Super Giants Set To Make This Bold Move After Worst IPL Season: Report
LSG finished at the 7th spot in IPL 2025 points table. They won 6 matches and lost 8 of the 14 played in the league stage.
- Lucknow Super Giants, who made their IPL debut in 2022, had their worst season last year
- They finished the league with 12 points, the lowest since their debut season
- As per a report, LSG are set to part ways with their mentor Zaheer Khan
Lucknow Super Giants are reportedly set to part ways with mentor Zaheer Khan ahead of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. Notably, the former India pacer had joined the franchise in August 2024. He had filled in for Gautam Gambhir, who had left the Sanjiv Goenka side to mentor Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2024 and took up the role of India head coach later that year. Zaheer was signed for a one-year contract and as per a report his contract would not be extended.
After Morne Morkel left LSG to become India's bowling, Zaheer also replaced him in the same role for the IPL franchise.
Under Zaheer's mentorship, LSG finished at the 7th spot in IPL 2025, with just 12 points to their credit. This turned out to be the worst season for the side, who had also finished at the same position in IPL 2024, but with 14 points. In 2022 and 2023, LSG had made it to the playoffs.
Zaheer and LSG are set to part ways, claimed a Times of India report. It added that the new appointment will be given a global role and its work would be to also monitor RPSG Group's other franchises - Durban's Super Giants in the SA20 and Manchester Originals in The Hundred.
Zaheer has already served for Mumbai Indians from 2018 to 2022. He was first appointed as the Director of Cricket for MI before being given the role of head of global development.
Last month, former India bowling coach Bharat Arun, who recently ended his ties with KKR, was roped in by LSG in the same capacity.
Arun for the past few years was associated with KKR but after a poor eighth place finish in 2025, the Shah Rukh Khan-owned franchise is in the process of rejigging its coaching staff with Abhishek Nayar and Dwayne Bravo all set to call the shots.
Hence Chandrakant Pandit and Arun, the two veterans parted ways.
Similarly, after a seventh place finish in the last edition, LSG are also making changes to their support staff.
The LSG bowling wasn't top notch during last season and much of it could be attributed to the absence of India's fastest bowler Mayank Yadav from all but two games.
Arun, one of the finest bowling coaches the national team has ever had, is respected for his strategic acumen as well as grooming talented pacers.
(With PTI Inputs)
Lucknow Super Giants
Kolkata Knight Riders
Mumbai Indians
Morne Morkel
Gautam Gambhir
Zaheer Khan