5 Players LSG Must Release Before IPL 2026

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), before the start of IPL 2025, headlined with the highest-paid player, Rishabh Pant, who is also the leader of the franchise. They also carried the aggressive batters, Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran, and David Miller, to build a strong batting line-up.

Lucknow is currently at the seventh position of the points table with five victories in 11 group-stage encounters at a net run rate of -0.469. One of the biggest issues for the side was their pace bowling department, which has not stood up with their performances.

There were situations where the LSG pacers needed to be discipline with the line and lengths. However, none of these have gone right for the side.

Here are the five players LSG must release before the IPL 2026

1. Ravi Bishnoi

The Indian leg-spinner, Ravi Bishnoi, hasn’t highlighted a premier performance with the ball in the middle overs of the innings. He has collected just nine wickets in 10 innings of this year at an average of 41.66 and a strike rate of 24, with an economy rate of 10.41.

Lucknow retained Bishnoi for a huge price of INR 11 crore, which is a huge price for a bowler who hasn’t lived up to his expectations. The reason for the pacer to be under pressure was the spinner not taking wickets in the middle overs, and its responsibility comes on the veteran’s responsibility.

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Even a young Digvesh Rathi has come up with a better show than Bishnoi on the LSG side.

2. Avesh Khan

Avesh Khan came into the Lucknow side during the mega auction for a price of INR 9.75 crore. But the pacer has picked up only 10 wickets this season in 10 innings at an average of nearly 38 and an economy rate of just over 10, with the best bowling figure of 3/37 in an innings.

Avesh has the speed, and he nailed the yorkers in the last few seasons, something which he was successful in doing during the last few seasons. However, his performance in the death overs of the edition has been poor, and LSG could get back the pacer for a lower price.

3. Akash Deep

The Bengal pacer, Akash Deep, has gone through a poor season in IPL 2025 for the Super Giants. In four innings, he collected only three wickets at an economy rate of 12.25. He failed to bowl according to the plan or the field position that their captain, Rishabh Pant, set in various situations.

Either he has bowled short at the batters or has gone overpitched, as the opponents have used their power to swing him out of the park. Freeing Akash will add INR 8 crores for the LSG side, who may look out for better Indian or overseas pacers for the next season.

4. David Miller

David Miller is another exciting overseas lower-order batter that the LSG side invested in. However, the veteran hasn’t lived up to the expectation. Most of his knocks were average as he clubbed 153 runs at a strike rate of 127.49 with the best score of an unbeaten 27 runs.

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Leaving the Protea batter will increase INR 7.50 in the bag for LSG, who may earn the batter back for a lower price in the mini auction.

5. Shahbaz Ahmed

Shahbaz Ahmed, the left-arm spin all-rounder, started the IPL 2025 season for the LSG, which confirms the spinner’s presence in the franchise’s planning.

Although Ahmed’s one failure was enough to get him dropped for the rest of the season. Lucknow can look to leave the 30-year-old out of the squad for the upcoming season and find a better option.