Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise, has set its sights on retaining a strong core of players from last year’s squad in the upcoming mega auction. Head coach Justin Langer revealed that the team’s objective is to bring back as many players as possible who contributed to their success in the previous season.
LSG has already retained five players, including four Indians and two uncapped players. The retained Indian players are Mayank Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, Ayush Badoni, and Mohsin Khan. West Indian batter Nicholas Pooran is the only overseas player retained by the franchise.
“We are really pleased with announcing the four of the most talented Indian players in the country at the moment,” Langer said. “We are setting a base for those strong Indian players… I’m excited about that.”
Pooran, known for his explosive batting, is a valuable addition to the LSG lineup. “Nicholas Pooran is a dynamic player in world cricket and we can’t wait to see him in action again,” Langer said.
LSG released former captain KL Rahul before the retention deadline, leaving the team with a purse of Rs 69 crore for the mega auction. Rahul, who led LSG for three seasons, will now enter the auction pool.
“The retention for next year’s IPL was really tough,” Langer admitted. “There were lots of very careful deliberations, strong considerations to come up with the list of retentions.”
Pooran was retained for a whopping Rs 21 crore, making him one of the highest-paid players in the IPL. Bishnoi, Mayank, Mohsin, and Badoni were retained for Rs 11 crore each.
LSG’s focus on retaining a strong core of Indian players aligns with the franchise’s long-term strategy. By building a solid foundation of talented domestic players, LSG aims to establish a competitive team that can challenge for the IPL title in the years to come.
