The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) owned by Sanjiv Goenka had a disappointing run in the IPL 2025 season failing to make it past the league stage.
Under the leadership of Rishabh Pant the team could only secure 6 wins out of 14 matches ultimately landing in seventh place on the points table.
In light of this lackluster performance there are whispers that Goenka might shake things up in the team’s management. According to Cricbuzz, there are concerns about the future of several coaching staff members including the legendary Zaheer Khan. He reportedly has a one-year contract with LSG that needs renewal if they want to continue their partnership for IPL 2026. The buzz suggests that it would be surprising if Zaheer remains as LSG’s mentor after this season.
Zaheer joined LSG before IPL 2025 working alongside head coach Justin Langer who has been with the team since IPL 2024. Unfortunately LSG has not advanced to the second round in either of the seasons under Langer’s guidance. His contract is also up for renewal leaving fans wondering if both he and Zaheer will still be part of LSG’s coaching staff come IPL 2026.
Sanjiv Goenka is known for being hands-on with his franchise. His public disagreement with KL Rahul in 2024 ultimately led to Rahul’s departure. Goenka has often been spotted chatting with Rishabh Pant on the sidelines after matches and it seems Pant has a solid rapport with Zaheer Khan. However Pant’s own performance has not been up to par complicating matters.
The Lucknow franchise invested a staggering Rs 27 crore in Rishabh, making him the highest-paid player in IPL history. Unfortunately, he only scored one century and a half-century over 13 innings, and his performance as captain has also been underwhelming. Since their debut in 2022, LSG has reached the second round in both seasons they’ve participated in the playoffs, with Gautam Gambhir serving as their mentor during those successful runs.
After Andy Flower led LSG to the playoffs in consecutive seasons Langer has overseen two mediocre seasons. Flower has since secured an IPL title with RCB breaking their 18-year drought. Among the ten teams in the league Lucknow remains one of the three that have yet to lift the trophy.