Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) equalled their worst finish in an Indian Premier League season as they ended up in seventh spot under the captaincy of Rishabh Pant in IPL 2025. LSG failed to find consistency, showing only flashes of brilliance in a stop-start season, despite their heavy investment of Rs 27 crore for Pant at the auction. However, as per reports, the first person set to face the heat for the poor showing is not Pant or LSG head coach Justin Langer, but LSG mentor and former India pace great Zaheer Khan.
As per a report by Cricbuzz, the Lucknow Super Giants management, headed by owner Sanjiv Goenka, isn't particularly pleased with the way IPL 2025 shaped out for the team.
The report further states that more pressure is on Zaheer, who was roped in as mentor ahead of the season on a one-year contract.
LSG managed just six wins in their 14 matches, with Rishabh Pant enduring a disastrous season up until the final match of the campaign.
The report further says that whether Zaheer will get his contract renewed is still up in the air, and that sources feel that it is unlikely to happen.
Despite wholesale changes ahead of the mega auction, which saw LSG part ways with their original captain KL Rahul, the franchise failed to improve their showing from the previous season, instead finishing with one less win.
Throughout the season, LSG captain Rishabh Pant also cut an unhappy figure on several occasions during matches, often losing his cool, both while captaining on the field and in the dugout. On one occasion, he was seen having an animated chat with Zaheer, in a match where he came out to bat at No. 7.
The report states that there is discontent around Zaheer's mentorship as he had played a crucial role in shaping the team's approach, but failed to yield results.
Expectations were high at LSG following their decision to splash out Rs 27 crore for Pant at the auction. However, Pant had arguably his worst-ever season with the bat. Pant managed only 269 runs in 14 matches, with 118 of them coming in their inconsequential final league game.
Drama higher up in the hierarchy is not uncommon at LSG, with KL Rahul and the franchise splitting on unceremonious terms following IPL 2025.
Zaheer may have also played a crucial role in LSG building an all-Indian bowling attack, which flattered to deceive. Mayank Yadav, Mohsin Khan and Akash Deep set the franchise back by a total of Rs 23 crore, but played only eight matches combined.