Lucknow Gears Up to Conquer the Field, Know the New Changes - Best11.in

In the recent IPL mega auction, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) were a franchise that spent crores to acquire players. Notably, they started the season by bringing in Rishabh Pant as captain for a record-breaking amount in IPL history. Unfortunately, LSG couldn’t deliver an impressive performance this time. With six wins and eight losses in 14 matches, they finished seventh with 12 points, marking the end of their season.

LSG, which invested around 27 crores to bring Pant as captain, underwent a complete overhaul. However, they couldn’t produce significant results this season. In batting, LSG made some excellent signings, especially with Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram forming a new, highly effective opening duo. Nicholas Pooran also delivered explosive performances. However, the captain’s lackluster performance was a major headache for LSG this season. Youngster Digvesh Rathi’s performance was crucial to LSG’s campaign.

Looking at LSG’s season, Mitchell Marsh led the run-getters with 627 runs. Digvesh Rathi was the top wicket-taker with 14 wickets, despite being a controversial figure at times. Nicholas Pooran hit a record 40 sixes for LSG this season. The highest individual score came from Rishabh Pant, who bounced back in the final match against RCB in Bengaluru, scoring 118 runs off 61 balls. The best bowling performance was by Shardul Thakur, who took four wickets for 34 runs against Hyderabad. Rathi also had the best bowling economy at 8.25. The highest team total was 238/3 against KKR.

LSG had a mixed team this season. Despite not being the strongest on paper, they spent big on players, but the returns were underwhelming. Still, the arrivals of Marsh and Markram were somewhat reassuring for LSG. The next season will be crucial for LSG, as they haven’t won a title yet. For IPL 2026, LSG is unlikely to release Pant, given the 27 crores invested in him. Despite his captaincy struggles, LSG may give him another chance. They are also likely to retain their opening duo of Marsh and Markram, along with Pooran, Rathi, Ravi Bishnoi, Abdul Samad, and Mayank Yadav. These eight players form their probable retention list.

For the next season, LSG needs to address their weak bench strength, which was a major issue despite fewer injuries. Their pace bowling department was particularly disappointing and needs significant signings, especially experienced Indian or overseas pacers. The spin department also requires improvement, as relying solely on Rathi isn’t sustainable. Adding experienced spinners, including overseas players, is essential. The batting lineup, with Marsh, Markram, Pooran, Pant, and Samad, looks strong, but LSG could consider adding one or two more Indian batters. This outlines LSG’s potential auction strategy for the next season.