LSG probable playing 11 for IPL 2026 after auction

Lucknow Super Giants entered the IPL 2026 mini-auction after a disappointing 2025 season. Having retained 17 players and traded in Mohammed Shami and Arjun Tendulkar ahead of the auction, LSG added six more players to the roster.

The franchise made some tough calls by releasing David Miller, Ravi Bishnoi, and Akash Deep, while Shardul Thakur was traded to Mumbai Indians. Off the field, Zaheer Khan’s exit was followed by the appointment of Bharat Arun as bowling coach, strengthening their support staff. After spending IND 102.5 crore on retentions and trades, LSG entered the auction with a purse of INR 22.95 crore.

Their headline buy was Australian wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis for INR 8.6 crore, despite his limited availability. They also secured Anrich Nortje and Wanindu Hasaranga at base price, along with uncapped talents Mukul Choudhary, Akshat Raghuwanshi, and Naman Tiwari.

Here is Lucknow Super Giants' predicted playing 11 for IPL 2026

Top-Order: Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, Rishabh Pant (c & wk)

One of the best top-order in the league is of LSG with Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, and Rishabh Pant. Marsh and Markram were outstanding as openers in IPL 2025, providing LSG with solid starts in the powerplay. Meanwhile, Pant, who became the most expensive player, had a poor run throughout the season, until getting back in the fag end.

However, Pant has been in decent form for India following last year's season. He would hope to come in fresh for this season. The trio's responsibility for scoring the bulk of runs will be crucial if LSG wishes to better their performance this year.