4 Players Lucknow Super Giants Will Retain For IPL 2026

The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), with the victory over the Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad during their penultimate fixture, displayed how brutal they could have been in the batting department. But they slipped in crucial stages of the game.

Lucknow is in the sixth position in the points table with six victories in 13 group-stage encounters. They gained six victories at a net run rate of -0.337 under Rishabh Pant’s captaincy.

Signing the southpaw wicket-keeper batter for a huge price of INR 27 crore, Lucknow used a huge chunk of the budget. Meanwhile, in the latter stage, they couldn’t buy many replacements for the first-string fast bowlers, and that backfired on them in the middle half of the season with injuries.

Pant’s contribution with the bat raised a question mark, along with their retained spinner, Ravi Bishnoi. Lucknow Super Giants couldn’t pick wickets in the middle overs, and that put immense pressure on the death overs.

Here are the four players Lucknow Super Giants will retain for IPL 2026

1. Nicholas Pooran

The left-handed West Indies wicket-keeper batter made a fabulous start to the IPL 2025 with many contributions with the bat. Nicholas Pooran, whose form dropped in the middle phase of the tournament, smashed 511 runs in 13 innings at an average of 46.45 and a strike rate of 198.93.

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Pooran celebrated five half-centuries this year with his best score of an unbeaten 87 runs. His batting against the spinners in the middle overs of the innings was the most exciting phase of the game.

Nicholas’ struggle came against the in-swinging deliveries, where he was getting the leg before the stumps quite regularly in the game.

2. Mitchell Marsh

The Australian all-rounder became the first overseas player to celebrate a century during the IPL 2025. He reached the feat during their encounter against the Gujarat Titans when he scored runs against every single bowler.

Meanwhile, against Rashid Khan, he read all of his deliveries to drill them over the park. The right-handed batter nailed 560 runs in 12 innings of the season at an average of 46.66 and a strike rate of 161.84. thanks to eight half-centuries at the best score of 117 runs.

One of the successful parts of the Lucknow Super Giants this year is the contribution from the top order. However, once they failed, the team fell like a pack of cards.

3. Rishabh Pant

Even though the Indian wicket-keeper batter hasn’t scored much this year, it will be smart enough from the Lucknow Super Giants to invest more in the youngster.

Pant has struggled in the IPL 2025 with 151 runs in 12 innings at an average of 13.72 with a strike rate of 107.69. It’s his lowest strike in any season of the competition and the lowest he has accumulated in a season after his debut season in 2016.

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However, Lucknow Super Giants will be eager to provide more chances to the batter and retain him for IPL 2026.

4. Aiden Markram

Aiden Markram is another top-order batter who has been in fantastic touch during the IPL 2025. His opening stand with Mitchell Marsh set the platform for the Lucknow Super Giants.

Markram cracked 445 runs in 13 innings at an average of 34.23 and a strike rate of 148.82, with five half-centuries at the best score of 66 runs. Meanwhile, with the ball, he contributed four wickets in the middle overs, which is another advantage for the franchise.

Most of their bowlers couldn’t do well this season. Three overseas players among the four expected retentions are another part of the picture.