Lucknow Super Giants needs major surgery fixing their squad after another disappointing campaign. The 5 players LSG should release includes expensive flops who delivered nothing. Management spent crores buying Rishabh Pant but still finished seventh with six wins.
LSG never won an IPL trophy across their four seasons played. Their auction strategy keeps failing despite spending huge money on stars. The 5 players LSG should release will free up massive budget space.
Players LSG Should Release Before the Auction
1. Mayank Yadav: Mayank cost LSG INR 11 crore but played just two matches. Injuries destroyed his entire IPL 2025 season before it even started. He grabbed only two wickets making his retention completely pointless financially. His recurring fitness problems make Mayank a risky investment going forward. LSG wants reliable pacers instead of paying injured players sitting out. The 5 players LSG should release starts with injury-prone expensive options.
2. Shamar Joseph: Shamar played one match before injuries ended his season too. The West Indies pacer couldn’t adapt to Indian conditions at all. LSG wastes overseas slots on players who can’t stay fit.
3. David Miller: Miller scored just 153 runs from 11 matches batting lower down. His experience means nothing when runs don’t come regularly anymore. LSG already has Pooran, Markram, and Marsh as better overseas choices. Miller’s age caught up with him making retention senseless for IPL 2026. LSG needs explosive young overseas batsmen instead of fading veterans now.
4. Abdul Samad: Samad scored 164 runs across nine innings without any big knocks. His strike rate looks good but consistency remains terrible throughout seasons. LSG wants reliable domestic all-rounders contributing regularly with bat and ball.
5. Shahbaz Ahmed: Shahbaz appeared in only three matches contributing absolutely nothing meaningful. His bowling and batting both failed whenever chances came surprisingly. LSG should invest in young all-rounders showing promise in domestic cricket.
These releases help LSG rebuilding a winning squad before the auction. LSG spent record breaking amount on captain Rishabh Pant that makes their purse size to tight. Realesing these players can give them a small amount of breathe.
