Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) haven’t landed on their feet. After wholesome changes last year, the Rishabh Pant-led side hasn’t quite assembled a team worthy enough to win the title. LSG is hoping to rejig and has released players like David Miller and Ravi Bishnoi. They have gotten Mohammed Shami from Sunrisers Hyderabad, which means they won’t be needing more than a couple of quality players at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 auction.
LSG retention list
Rishabh Pant (c & wk), Nicholas Pooran (wk)✈️, Mitchell Marsh✈️, Aiden Markram✈️, Abdul Samad, Himmat Singh, Matthew Breetzke✈️, Shahbaz Ahamad, Arshin Kulkarni, Ayush Badoni, Digvesh Rathi, Avesh Khan, Akash Singh, Prince Yadav, M Siddharth, Mohsin Khan, Mayank Yadav, Mohammad Shami (traded in), Arjun Tendulkar (traded in)
LSG released players list
David Miller✈️, Ravi Bishnoi, Aryan Juyal, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Yuvraj Chaudhary, Akash Deep, Will O’Rourke ✈️, Shamar Joseph✈️
Purse & slots for IPL 2026 auction
LSG has the fourth-highest purse for the IPL 2026 auction — INR 22.95 crore. However, since they have already retained 10 players and only need to fill 6 slots to reach the maximum of 25 players, they have more than enough money. At best, LSG can acquire 4 overseas players, as they have already retained 4.
Players LSG should target IPL 2026 auction
LSG already has a finisher in Abdul Samad, so what they can do is get another middle-order batter like Abhinav Manohar as backup. They might look to get Liam Livingstone as well, who can finish the innings and bowl part-time spin as well. As for a frontline spinner, they might look to rebuy Bishnoi or opt for someone like Vignesh Puthur or Kumar Kumar Kartikeya.
| Player | Type |
|---|---|
| Michael Bracewell/Matthew Short/ George Linde/Wanindu Hasaranga Mahipal Lomror/Atharva Taide | Foreign or India spin all-rounder |
| Daniel Sams/Kyle Jamieson/ Wiaan Mulder/Jason Holder/ Kyle Mayers/Cameron Green | Foreign pace all-rounder |
| Tim Seifert/Finn Allen/ Jonny Bairstow/Ben Duckett/ Jamie Smith/Quinton de Kock | Foreign Wicketkeeper |
| Matheesha Pathirana/Gerald Coetzee/Anrich Nortje/ Spencer Johnson/Matt Henry/Gus Atkinson/ Fazalhaq Farooqi/Lungi Ngidi/Will O’Rourke | Foreign fast bowler |
| Abhinav Manohar/Liam Livingstone | Middle order/finisher |
| Rahul Chahar/Ravi Bishnoi/ Kumar Kartikeya/Vignesh Puthur/ Karn Sharma | Spinner |
They’ll have plenty of options for foreign wicketkeepers, pacers, and all-rounders. Liam Livingstone, Jason Holder, Wanindu Hasaranga, Will O’Rourke, and Tim Seifert might be some of the names they will be interested in.
