Heading into the auction with just Rs 51 crore to spend and tasked with building a squad around the core group of five retained players, the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) had plenty of bases to cover with a limited purse. Despite having a smaller budget compared to other franchises like Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), LSG secured the services of Rishabh Pant for a record sum of Rs 27 crore. LSG owner Sanjeev Goenka told RevSportz that the franchise was keen to acquire Pant.
With more than half of their purse spent on a single player, LSG had to adopt a strategic approach to their remaining purchases, ensuring they stayed within budget. They executed this plan effectively over the two-day auction. After securing Pant, it seemed that LSG was focused on forming their first XI around versatile all-rounders.
David Miller, Mitchell Marsh, and Aiden Markram were brought in to bolster the top and middle order, complementing the presence of Pant, Nicholas Pooran, and Ayush Badoni. The lower order was further reinforced with the additions of Abdul Samad and Shahbaz Ahmed.
They aggressively targeted Indian seam-bowling talent, spending big to secure Avesh Khan and Akash Deep, while also adding Akash Singh and Rajvardhan Hangargekar to their squad. M Siddharth, who impressed in the previous season, also makes a return to the squad. Notably, Shamar Joseph, retained through the RTM card, is the sole overseas bowling addition for LSG this season.
Hits
Rishabh Pant
Pant was a highly sought-after player, with many expecting him to be picked up by PBKS or RCB. However, LSG made a surprise move, securing the dynamic batter. With Pant in their squad, LSG have secured their captain, wicketkeeper, and a key batter in the lineup. He became the biggest buy of the auction, and undoubtedly, a major acquisition for LSG.
Shahbaz Ahmed
The conditions at Ekana will suit Shahbaz Ahmed and his style of play. The Bengal all-rounder, who recently struck a century in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy against defending champions Punjab, is in excellent form with the bat. The slow pitch and large boundaries in Lucknow will complement his bowling style. A versatile player, Shahbaz can serve as a like-for-like replacement for Krunal Pandya.
Akash Deep
Capped Indian bowlers were in high demand throughout the auction, and LSG did well to secure Akash Deep. The right-arm seamer has been impressive in T20s and has shown remarkable growth in international cricket. He is capable of taking wickets with the new ball and can deliver deadly yorkers in the latter stages of the game.
Misses
LSG may have missed an opportunity by not pursuing more overseas pace bowling options. While they targeted two, Shamar Joseph and Anrich Nortje, the former was brought back using an RTM card. Although LSG has a strong Indian core of fast bowlers, many of them, including Akash Deep and Avesh Khan, are relatively raw when it comes to the IPL. Joseph, though possessing pace, also lacks experience in the T20 format.
Additionally, while LSG has one of the most destructive and settled middle orders, their top-order options seem less reliable. Mitchell Marsh is there, but Aiden Markram and Matthew Breetzke have not inspired much confidence as key top-order players.
Overall rating – 7.5/10
LSG IPL 2025 Squad: Nicholas Pooran, Ravi Bishnoi, Mayank Yadav, Mohsin Khan, Ayush Badoni, Rishabh Pant (Rs. 27 crore), David Miller (Rs. 7.5 crore), Aiden Markram (Rs. 2 crore), Mitchell Marsh (Rs. 3.40 crore), Avesh Khan (Rs. 9.75 crore), Abdul Samad (Rs. 4.20 crore), Aryan Juyal (Rs. 30 lakh), Akash Deep (Rs. 8 crore), Himmat Singh (Rs. 30 lakh), M. Siddharth (Rs. 75 lakh), Digvesh Singh (Rs. 30 lakh), Shahbaz Ahmed (Rs. 2.40 crore), Akash Singh (Rs. 30 lakh), Shamar Joseph (Rs. 75 lakh), Prince Yadav (Rs. 30 lakh), Yuvraj Chaudhary (Rs. 30 lakh), Rajvardhan Hangargekar (Rs. 30 lakh), Arshin Kulkarni (Rs. 30 lakh), Matthew Breetzke (Rs. 75 lakh).