Lucknow Super Giants headed into IPL 2026 under pressure after two disappointing seasons. After qualifying for the playoffs in their first two years, LSG finished seventh last season despite leadership and support staff changes. Ahead of the 2026 season, the franchise made bold decisions at the mini auction, revamping its squad, and carried out a major coaching change.
LSG entered the IPL 2026 mini auction with a purse of INR 22.95 crore and six slots to fill. They strengthened their bowling department by signing Wanindu Hasaranga and Anrich Nortje at base price, which were seen as value buys. However, their biggest spend was INR 8.6 crore on Josh Inglis, despite his limited availability during the season.
The franchise retained a strong core, including captain Rishabh Pant, along with Nicholas Pooran, Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, and Ayush Badoni. Meanwhile, LSG traded in Mohammed Shami for INR 10 crore and Arjun Tendulkar, while Shardul Thakur was traded out. The franchisees notably released list included David Miller and Ravi Bishnoi. The biggest off-field change was the coaching overhaul. Kane Williamson joined as a strategic advisor, replacing Zaheer Khan. Carl Crowe was appointed spin bowling coach, joining an experienced group led by Justin Langer, Tom Moody, and Bharat Arun.
Strengths
LSG’s biggest strength in 2026 is squad depth and experience, especially in leadership and bowling. Compared to last season, the team looks more balanced. Rishabh Pant now has a full season as captain behind him, unlike 2025, when he was still adjusting to the role.
The pace attack is significantly stronger. Mohammed Shami, Mayank Yadav, Anrich Nortje, and Mohsin Khan are set to form a lethal pace attack. Last year, injuries forced LSG to rely on backups. This season, they have multiple frontline options. Furthermore, the team’s batting depth has improved at the top. Marsh, Markram, Pooran, and Pant give LSG a stable top four, something they lacked consistency with last year. Notably, Hasaranga also adds lower-order batting, which replaces some of the balance lost after releasing Ravi Bishnoi. Digvesh Rathi, who was the team’s best bowler last season, will once again have the responsibility to pick crucial wickets and be Lucknow’s X factor in the upcoming edition.
Weaknesses
Despite improvements, LSG still lacks an experienced finisher. Releasing David Miller has left a gap in the death overs. Josh Inglis is not a natural finisher and will miss part of the season, making the INR 8.6 crore investment concerning. Their middle order is also inexperienced. Ayush Badoni and Abdul Samad are once again expected to play during the crucial middle-overs. Last season, LSG often collapsed after strong starts, and this risk still exists.
While the team got new faces, many of them are injury-prone, including Nortje and Shami. Apart from them, Pant, Marsh, and Mayank Yadav have all had injury issues in recent years. Last season, injuries derailed LSG’s campaign, and a similar pattern could repeat.
Opportunities
IPL 2026 allows LSG to bounceback after two poor seasons. With a stable captain and a new coaching setup, the franchise can finally do wonders that they are highly capable of. Young Indian players such as Badoni, Akshat Raghuwanshi, Mukul Choudhary, and Naman Tiwari have a chance to step up.
The bowling unit can be their strength. On fast pitches, LSG can field one of the most threatening pace attacks in the league. There is also an opportunity for Pant to grow as a leader. With senior advisors like Williamson and Moody, his decision-making could improve significantly.
Threats
The franchise has shown over the last two seasons that strong squads do not always guarantee results. If early matches go wrong, confidence could drop quickly, as seen last year. Over-reliance on overseas players is another risk. Any loss of form or availability issues could disturb the XI and the momentum. Notably, expectations are high after heavy investment and staff changes. Failure to reach the playoffs again would raise serious questions about the team’s long-term planning.
Lucknow Super Giants squad for IPL 2026
Abdul Samad, Ayush Badoni, Aiden Markram, Matthew Breetzke, Himmat Singh, Rishabh Pant (c), Nicholas Pooran, Mitchell Marsh, Shahbaz Ahmed, Arshin Kulkarni, Mayank Yadav, Avesh Khan, Mohsin Khan, Manimaran Siddharth, Digvesh Rathi, Prince Yadav, Akash Singh, Mohammed Shami, Arjun Tendulkar, Josh Inglis, Mukul Choudhary, Akshat Raghuwanshi, Anrich Nortje, Wanindu Hasaranga, Naman Tiwari