Indian Premier League: Former Uganda National Cricket Team head coach is likely to join Lucknow Super Giants as the fielding coach of the franchise ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.
LSG Failed To Reach Knockout Stage In IPL 2024, 2025 Seasons
The Super Giants joined the cash-rich league in 2022 and advanced into the playoffs in their first two seasons in the tournament. However, in recent times, Lucknow Super Giants have displayed a sluggish performance and failed to make it into the playoffs in the 2024 and 2025 seasons of the T20 tournament.
In the 18th season of the Indian Premier League, Lucknow Super Giants finished the season in seventh place on the IPL 2025 table with 12 points, with a net run rate of -0.376. In the 2025 edition of the IPL, the Lucknow-based franchise played 14 matches, sealing just six wins and conceding eight defeats.
LSG To Appoint 56-Year-Old As Fielding Coach
Following a poor performance in IPL 2025, the Super Giants have restructured their coaching lineup ahead of the 2026 season of the tournament. According to a report from news agency PTI, Lucknow Super Giants are all set to appoint former Delhi and Railways cricketer Abhay Sharma as the new fielding coach of the franchise ahead of the IPL 2026.
Abhay Sharma last served as the head coach of Uganda. Sharma was also part of Uganda’s voyage in the T20 World Cup in 2024. Uganda was placed in Group C of the marquee event alongside West Indies, Afghanistan, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea. Under Abhay Sharma’s coaching, Uganda finished in fourth place with two points and a net run rate of -4.510 after playing four matches.
Apart from Uganda, Abhay Sharma also coached the Indian women’s cricket team. The 56-year-old also served as the fielding coach of the India U19 team.
Abhay Sharma has illustrious numbers in domestic cricket, but never got the chance to play for the national team. The former cricketer played 89 first-class matches and 128 innings, scoring 4105 runs at an average of 35.38. He has nine hundreds and 20 fifties. In List A, Abhay Sharma played 40 matches and 35 innings, 780 runs at an average of 23.63.