The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) were not anticipated to challenge for a playoff spot in the 2025 IPL. Following a lackluster auction, many expected them to finish near the bottom of the table. While they managed to surpass expectations, the campaign was far from satisfactory.
Looking ahead to IPL 2026, LSG face significant work. Their squad balance is off, and a major revamp of the bowling department is necessary. The team may also need to reassess their batting, which relied heavily on just a few key players in the last season.
LSG’s squad for IPL 2025 (including replacements): Aiden Markram, Digvesh Singh, Mayank Yadav, David Miller, Ayush Badoni, Akash Deep, Avesh Khan, Akash Singh, Shamar Joseph, Himmat Singh, Matthew Breetzke, Rishabh Pant, Nicholas Pooran, Mitchell Marsh, Shahbaz Ahmed, Yuvraj Chaudhary, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Arshin Kulkarni, , Aryan Juyal, Abdul Samad, Ravi Bishnoi, M Siddharth, Mohsin Khan, Prince Yadav, Shardul Thakur, Will O’Rourke (temp).
Here are three LSG players who should be released before the IPL 2026 auction:
#1 Mayank Yadav
Mayank Yadav, one of India’s most promising fast-bowling talents, was understandably retained by LSG for ₹11 crore ahead of the IPL 2025 auction. Unfortunately, his recurring injury issues resurfaced. He featured in only two matches, taking just two wickets at an economy rate of 12.5. His pace was noticeably down, and injuries disrupted his season at multiple points.
While Mayank remains a talent who requires time and trust to develop, investing such a huge sum in a player who is currently unreliable seems questionable. Other franchises may hesitate to spend big on him, giving LSG a chance to re-sign him at a lower price in the IPL 2026 auction.
#2 Akash Deep
Another pacer stretching LSG’s budget, Akash Deep was bought for ₹8 crore in the IPL 2025 auction. He played only six matches, taking three wickets at an economy of 12.05. While effective in Tests, Deep lacks the skills to make a significant impact in T20 cricket.
He is inconsistent throughout the innings; although he can move the new ball, batsmen have found it relatively easy to neutralize him. With Indian fast-bowling resources limited, it’s evident that Deep is not the solution to LSG’s bowling issues.
#3 Ravi Bishnoi
Ravi Bishnoi’s career has hit a rough patch recently. Once considered India’s top spin option in T20s, he has struggled to cement his place and was not a regular starter for Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2025. With Digvesh Rathi emerging, LSG’s decision to release Bishnoi, who had been retained for a hefty sum ahead of the 2025 auction, makes sense.
The young leg-spinner has struggled with consistency and has often failed to capitalize on favorable matchups. After taking just nine wickets at an economy of 10.84 in 11 games, Bishnoi is likely headed back to the auction pool.
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