By Salman Anjum – 05 Jun, 2025
Former India pacer Zaheer Khan, who served Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) as a mentor in the IPL 2025, is likely to part ways with the franchise.
According to a Cricbuzz report, Zaheer has come under the scanner after LSG’s dismal campaign in the recently-concluded IPL season. The Rishabh Pant-led side managed to win only six out of 14 league matches and finished seventh in the team standings, with 12 points.
Zaheer, who was signed as a mentor ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auctions, was reportedly given a one-year contract, which has to be renewed. As per sources, “It will be a surprise if he is actually continued."
“Zaheer was brought in to work alongside head coach Justin Langer, whose contract is also up for renewal. While it’s unclear how well the two coordinated during the season, there appears to be a sense of dissatisfaction within the squad and the management. The buzz at this stage suggests that the spotlight is more on Zaheer than on Langer," the Cricbuzz report read.
“The LSG franchise owner Sanjiv Goenka is known to be passionate about cricket and the IPL prospects, and for the last two seasons the team has not managed to make the play-offs. Though Zaheer cannot be answerable for the 2024 season, the management is not too happy with the way the team performed this season," it added.
It is understood that Zaheer shares a healthy camaraderie with Lucknow Super Giants skipper, Rishabh Pant.
“While the team mentor cannot be held responsible for the captain’s underwhelming performance, it was Zaheer who helped shape the team’s vision and approach. Both he and Pant had spoken about playing a fearless brand of cricket this season. But whatever the intended approach, it clearly did not yield expected results."
Rishabh Pant, who was signed for a record sum of INR 27 crore in the mega auction, failed to live up to the expectations in the IPL 2025. The wicketkeeper-batter amassed 129 runs from 13 innings at an average of 24.45 and a strike rate of 133.16, including one hundred and a half-century.
By Salman Anjum – 05 Jun, 2025
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