Lucknow Super Giants parts ways with mentor Zaheer Khan

Ahead of IPL 2026, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) have parted ways with their team mentor Zaheer Khan after just one season. The decision was confirmed on Thursday, making the end of a short stint for the former Indian pacer, who joined the franchise in August 2024.

After making the playoffs in their debut seasons in 2022 and 2023, the LSG has failed to qualify in the last two editions. In IPL 2025, under new captain Rishabh Pant, LSG managed just six wins from 14 matches, finishing seventh on the points table. Despite a good start with five wins in their first eight games, the franchise lost momentum in the latter half, winning only once in their final six outings.

Zaheer's approach to strategy, planning did not align with head coach and franchise owner

The primary reason behind Zaheer’s exit, according to reports, was due to a clash of visions. His approach to strategy and planning did not align with head coach Justin Langer and franchise owner Sanjiv Goenka. While Zaheer had a strong relationship with captain Rishabh Pant, he was said to be frustrated with what he perceived as cluttered thinking within the management and support staff.

The former pacer's tenure began with him taking charge of scouting, planning, and overall strategy after replacing Gautam Gambhir, who left LSG in 2023 to rejoin Kolkata Knight Riders and has since become India’s head coach. With his experience at the Mumbai Indians between 2018 and 2022, where he played a crucial role in building strong squads, LSG expected Zaheer to provide stability and direction.

One of his important contributions was changing the batting order around Pant and overseas stars like Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, and Nicholas Pooran. Zaheer advocated for Marsh and Markram to open, allowing Pant to play a freer role while reducing the burden on Pooran. The move proved effective, with Marsh coming out as the fifth-highest run-scorer of IPL 2025 and Pooran enjoying one of his best seasons. However, LSG’s overall campaign fell short of expectations, particularly at their home ground in Lucknow’s Ekana Stadium, where they managed only two wins out of eight.