And the side’s auction strategy ahead of IPL 2025 saw them stack up all their firepower at the top, and with injuries to their front-line pacers, the side really struggled to keep themselves afloat. The side was fourth in the list of total runs scored, that too without featuring even in the knockouts, with the top three Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, and Nicholas Pooran amassing almost 62% of those. This showed the over-reliance of the side on their top order, with the middle order and bowling letting them down.
With the ball, they conceded the third most runs in the league in the 2025 season, with the ignominy of having the worst economy and the second-worst average runs per wicket. That is where the Lucknow-based franchise lost the contest and was unable to challenge for a top-four finish. And add to that, David Miller’s finishing woes, LSG were in all sorts of trouble that led them to having another underwhelming season in succession. Miller mustered just 153 runs in the 11 games he featured in, and though he averaged above 30, his strike rate took an alarming dip to 127.50. The Proteas batter, while at Gujarat Titans, managed to strike at above 140 in each of his three previous seasons.
Big Decisions on the cards
Will the team management stick with Miller as their designated finisher or look up to Abdul Samad, who impressed with his cameos last season. With a price tag of INR 7.5 crores, the side will be tempted to let go of the veteran batter, but an experienced finisher in Miller’s mould is almost impossible to get.
The bowling department is expected to undergo a complete overhaul, with Mayank Yadav, Akash Deep, Ravi Bishnoi, and Shardul Thakur all facing the risk of being released into the auction pool. Mayank Yadav has played just six matches across two seasons, with his impact and returns on a downward spiral when he returned from injury for the first time earlier this year. His average shot up to 50 from an impressive 12.14 in 2024, and the economy almost doubled to 12.50. It will be interesting to see how his body copes with another injury.
Meanwhile, Bishnoi, after a good start with LSG, has gone off the radar in the last two years, with the last season being his worst in terms of wickets, average, and economy. He had only nine scalps from 11 games at a modest average of 44.55 and an economy of 10.83. The young leg-spinner is just 25 and has a lot to offer in the seasons to come, and, moreover, leg spinners are that kind where they have an excellent season once and an ordinary one that may follow. It will be interesting to see whether LSG has the patience to stick with the leggie.
The duo, together with Akash Deep, who had a season to forget with an awful average of 76.33 and an economy of 12.05 in six matches, will free up a whopping INR 30 crore for the Lucknow-based franchise. Add Miller and Shardul Thakur into the mix, and the number will go up to 40, putting them in a dominant position to go on a rampage in the mini auction.
What do LSG need?
LSG needs a reliable Indian pace bowling option upfront who can pick wickets and keep things tight in the powerplay. Though Mohammed Shami looked off colour in the previous season, his overall numbers in the IPL in the last five editions he featured before that will still have teams lining up to get him on their side. The Bengal pacer had three 20-wicket seasons in the last five, and the other two resulted in 19 wickets each, with averages and strike rate staying below 25 and nine, respectively, in each of them. He is the tournament’s joint-highest wicket taker in the powerplay between 2019 and 2023, alongside Deepak Chahar, with 42 of his total scalps coming in the first six overs.
A pace bowling all-rounder like Cameron Green or Marcus Stoinis would fit perfectly into a top-heavy unit like LSG. This will also solve the side’s finishing woes as the Australian duo can use their long handle to a good extent and also double up as genuine medium pacers, chipping in with a few overs with the ball. With three overseas slots already locked in by Marsh, Pooran, and Markram, another foreign player in the lineup will force LSG to fill in their bowling slots with Indian players.
If the Super Giants decides to part ways with Bishnoi, then they will have to take the plunge into the auction market to sign a leggie in Adam Zampa or Mayank Markande based on the players that other sides release into the pool.
Lucknow Super Giants expected XII: Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant, Ayush Badoni, David Miller/Pace bowling all-rounder, Abdul Samad, Digvesh Rathi, Ravi Bishnoi/ leg spinner, Avesh Khan, Mohsin Khan, Akash Deep/new ball bowler.