IPL 2025: Zaheer Khan under scrutiny after LSG's underwhelming campaign
LSG finished seventh with only 12 points in 14 games.
Lucknow Super Giants' mentor Zaheer Khan might have a hard time trying to get his contract renewed after the franchise's disappointing run in the 2025 edition of the Indian Premier League. LSG did not have a season to remember, ending up seventh on the points table with six wins and eight losses in their entire campaign.
LSG ended up recording their lowest finish in their four seasons of existing in the marquee T20 league so far. It is being reported that the franchise's performance has not quite impressed the team management and that changes to the backroom personnel are likely to be made to a large extent. One of the key members of the coaching unit is Zaheer.
Zaheer was acquired in the capacity of a mentor ahead of the commencement of the mega auction in 2024. His contractual period was one year. As per a Cricbuzz report, Zaheer's contract may not get extended. The former Indian cricketer was brought in to work alongside head coach, Justin Langer. Current chatter at this point suggests Zaheer to have more of the spotlight than Langer.
LSG's owner, Sanjiv Goenka, is known to be someone being quite passionate about the sport and the IPL and he does not seem pleased with how his side missed making the playoffs in the past couple of seasons. In most cases, a team's mentor is not expected to hold a lot of accountablity for the team's performance. However, in this case, it was Zaheer who was instrumental in crafting the team strategy.
Skipper Rishabh Pant and Zaheer had previously agreed on a fearless brand of cricket being played in IPL 2025. However, the approach seems to have backfired in most match scenarios and has clearly not produced the desired results. Barring the unbeaten 61-ball 118-run knock which came in LSG's final game of the season, it was a forgettable one for Pant with the bat.
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