Lucknow Super Giants mentor Zaheer Khan has decided to part ways with the franchise after just one season. According to ESPNcricinfo, Zaheer informed LSG of his decision on Thursday. It is understood that the primary reason behind his exit was a difference in vision between him, head coach Justin Langer, and team owner Sanjeev Goenka.
Although Zaheer shared a good rapport with captain Rishabh Pant, he was reportedly unsettled by the lack of clarity in the team’s approach, which contributed to LSG’s decline in form during the second half of IPL 2025. Zaheer joined LSG in August 2024, replacing Gautam Gambhir, who became KKR’s mentor in 2024 and later India’s head coach.
Previously, Zaheer had served with the Mumbai Indians from 2018 to 2022. He had signed a two-year deal with LSG and was overseeing scouting, planning, and strategy for the team. After reaching the playoffs in their debut IPL seasons in 2022 and 2023, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) failed to make the knockouts in the following two years.
In 2025, they ended seventh on the points table with just six wins from 14 matches. The campaign was marked by inconsistency — they won five of their first eight games but managed only one more victory in their remaining six. Their home form at the Ekana Stadium was also disappointing, with just two wins from eight matches.
LSG Built Around Record-Buy Pant As Zaheer Khan Laid Long-Term Foundations
LSG had grabbed headlines at the mega auction by signing Rishabh Pant for ₹27 crore (approx. USD 3.2 million), making him the costliest player in IPL history. The team was constructed around Pant, but Zaheer Khan quickly began laying down the foundational pieces he believed could strengthen the squad season by season.
Although there was widespread speculation about Pant opening the innings, Zaheer personally spoke to the star wicketkeeper-batter and advised against it. He suggested pairing Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram at the top, a plan he stressed to both Pant and the leadership group would ease the pressure on their key batter Nicholas Pooran, who was assigned the No. 3 role.
This clear definition of roles gave the batters the confidence to play freely and deliver consistently. While Markram had never opened in the IPL before and Marsh, despite over a decade in the league, had never made a significant mark, the strategy proved successful.
Marsh finished as the fifth-highest run-scorer with 627 runs at a strike rate of 163.70, while Pooran amassed 524 runs at 196.25 and Markram contributed 445 runs at 148.82.
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