The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) have locked in their squad for the IPL 2026 season, as, like other teams, they have also submitted their final list of retained and released players on November 15. With the IPL 2026 auction set for December 16 in Abu Dhabi, LSG’s choices have created buzz.
One of the biggest talking points was the future of the captaincy after Lucknow Super Giants’ disappointing IPL 2025 campaign. With Australia’s T20I skipper Mitchell Marsh also retained, speculation grew that the franchise might hand him the leadership role, especially after his impressive captaincy at the highest level in the format.
LSG confirms Rishabh Pant to lead in IPL 2026
However, LSG delivered a clear message after their retention announcement, shutting down all the rumors in one go. The franchise confirmed that Rishabh Pant will continue as their captain for IPL 2026, making it clear that there is no change in the leadership.
Sharing a picture of Pant on X, the LSG wrote in the caption: “With great power. With great responsibility. Leading the Super Giants.”
Lucknow Super Giants’ IPL 2025 story
Meanwhile, the Lucknow Super Giants began IPL 2025 with huge expectations after spending a record-breaking INR 27 crore on Rishabh Pant, making him the costliest player in the league’s history. But things did not go as planned, as LSG finished seventh on the points table with only six wins from 14 matches.
Even though they had a talented squad with players like Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, and Mitchell Marsh, they struggled to put together a strong run. Some young players like Ayush Badoni and Digvesh Rathi showed maturity and impressed everyone; they could not deliver as a team.
Pant, who arrived with huge expectations, had a mixed season. He played a few good knocks but couldn’t deliver the kind of match-winning performances that fans and the team hoped to see, especially considering his record price tag.
LSG’s pace attack also remained a major problem. Their fast bowlers often lacked consistency, and injuries troubled them throughout the season. These issues hurt the team in crucial matches, and they failed to make it to the IPL 2025 playoffs.
Now, they have only six spots to fill at the IPL 2026 auctions, and they would love to go after the proven match-winners to make a strong comeback.
Players retained by Lucknow Super Giants:
Rishabh Pant (C), Nicholas Pooran, Abdul Samad, Ayush Badoni, Aiden Markram, Matthew Breetzke, Himmat Singh, Mitchell Marsh, Mohsin Khan, M Siddharth, Digvesh Rathi, Prince Yadav, Shahbaz Ahmed, Arshin Kulkarni, Mayank Yadav, Avesh Khan, Akash Singh
Released players by Lucknow Super Giants:
Ravi Bishnoi, David Miller, Akash Deep, Aryan Juyal, Yuvraj Chaudhary, and Rajvardhan Hangargekar.
Players Trade:
Shardul Thakur (Rs 2 crore) was traded out to the Mumbai Indians. Mohammad Shami (Rs 10 crore) and Arjun Tendulkar (Rs 30 lakh) were traded in from Sunrisers Hyderabad and Mumbai Indians, respectively.