Legendary Indian fast bowler Zaheer Khan is set to become the new mentor of Indian Premier League (IPL) side Lucknow Super Giants. Zaheer is reportedly currently in talks with the LSG team management to fill the role.
Currently, Zaheer is associated with Mumbai Indians as their Global Head of Cricket Development. If Zaheer joins LSG, he will be leaving his role with Mumbai Indians, which he joined in September 2022. Previously, he also worked as the Head of Cricket Operations with Mumbai Indians, a role he joined in 2018.
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Zaheer Khan set to take on mentor role at LSG
According to a report by Revsportz, Zaheer Khan will cast a shadow over LSG’s bowling department while head coach Justin Langer will put more effort into the batting line-up. Lucknow Super Giants have a number of young fast bowlers in their squad who will benefit from the addition of Zaheer Khan.
LSG’s fast bowling options include young players like Mohsin Khan, Yash Thakur, Mayank Yadav, Shivam Mavi and Shamar Joseph. All of these players are hugely talented and have made an impact at least once. Mayank Yadav, in particular, boasts tremendous potential but is prone to injuries.
Mayank played just four matches in the IPL 2024 and picked up 7 wickets at an average of 12.14. He showed the ability to bowl at over 150 km/h on a regular basis and quickly made headlines for being the fastest bowler of the season.
While Zaheer Khan is close to being appointed as LSG’s mentor, two other franchises are also believed to be interested in bringing Zaheer on board. However, the name of the franchises is not yet clear.
Zaheer has played for three IPL franchises during his playing days: Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore (Royal Challengers Bengaluru) and Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals).
He played 100 IPL matches in total and took 102 wickets at an average of 27.27 and an economy rate of 7.59. He also captained Delhi Daredevils for some time.
After hanging up his boots, Zaheer joined Mumbai Indians as their bowling coach in 2017. Since then, the legendary Indian bowler has been associated with Mumbai Indians in various roles.
LSG without a mentor since Gautam Gambhir left
Lucknow Super Giants have been without a mentor since Gautam Gambhir left ahead of IPL 2024 for Kolkata Knight Riders. Gambhir joined KKR for the 2024 IPL season and played a key role in the team’s IPL victory.
During his stint at LSG, Gautam Gambhir impressed everyone as the team made it to the playoffs on both occasions. After leading KKR to their third IPL title, Gambhir joined Team India as their head coach.
While Zaheer Khan is all set to sign for Lucknow Super Giants, the franchise is yet to decide whether KL Rahul will retain him. It is still unclear whether Rahul will retain him in the upcoming mega auctions or not. If Rahul leaves the team, LSG will have to look for a new captain.
