Lucknow Super Giants played it smart at the IPL auction recently. They walked in with Rs 22.95 crore to spend carefully. The Team grabbed some absolute bargains alongside one big-ticket player surprisingly.
Rishabh Pant stays as captain leading the 2026 campaign forward. LSG retained their core players before the auction even started. The Players list now mixes proven international stars with exciting young talent.
Smart buying at low prices became LSG’s strategy this year clearly. They avoided getting into crazy bidding wars for most players. That approach saved money while still strengthening the Team significantly.
Spinners Come at Bargain Prices
Wanindu Hasaranga joined Lucknow Super Giants for just Rs 2 crore. The Sri Lankan all-rounder went at his base Price somehow. Rajasthan Royals released him after underwhelming performances last season there.
He grabbed 26 wickets back in IPL 2022 brilliantly though. That form could return with a fresh Team environment around him. Ravi Bishnoi got released creating that spinner spot in the squad list.
Hasaranga’s leg-spin and lower-order hitting add serious value at that amount. LSG basically stole him for peanuts compared to his peak worth. The 2026 squad needed exactly his skill set desperately.
Pace Battery Gets Stronger
Anrich Nortje became another steal at Rs 2 crore base Price only. Kolkata Knight Riders let the South African pacer go surprisingly. He’s played 48 IPL matches and grabbed 61 wickets so far.
Express pace remains his biggest weapon against any batting lineup anywhere. Injuries affected him recently but the talent never disappeared completely. Lucknow Super Giants are gambling on his fitness returning fully here.
| Player Name | Price | Category |
|---|---|---|
| Rishabh Pant (C) | ₹27 Cr | Retained |
| Nicholas Pooran | ₹21 Cr | Retained |
| Ayush Badoni | ₹4 Cr | Retained |
| Mayank Yadav | ₹11 Cr | Retained |
| Avesh Khan | ₹9.75 Cr | Retained |
| Abdul Samad | ₹4.2 Cr | Retained |
| Mitchell Marsh | ₹3.4 Cr | Retained |
| Aiden Markram | ₹2 Cr | Retained |
| Shahbaz Ahamad | ₹2.4 Cr | Retained |
| Mohsin Khan | ₹4 Cr | Retained |
| Matthew Breetzke | ₹75 L | Retained |
| M. Siddharth | ₹75 L | Retained |
| Arshin Kulkarni | ₹30 L | Retained |
| Himmat Singh | ₹30 L | Retained |
| Akash Singh | ₹30 L | Retained |
| Digvesh Rathi | ₹30 L | Retained |
| Prince Yadav | ₹30 L | Retained |
| Mohammed Shami | ₹10 Cr | Traded In |
| Arjun Tendulkar | ₹30 L | Traded In |
| Wanindu Hasaranga | ₹2 Cr | Auction |
| Anrich Nortje | ₹2 Cr | Auction |
| Mukul Choudhary | ₹2.60 Cr | Auction |
| Naman Tiwari | ₹1 Cr | Auction |
| Akshat Raghuwanshi | ₹2.20 Cr | Auction |
| Josh Inglis | ₹8.60 Cr | Auction |
That money for someone with Nortje’s pace abilities seems ridiculously cheap honestly. The Team management saw value where others saw risk clearly.
Josh Inglis Becomes Big Buy
Josh Inglis cost LSG Rs 8.60 crore as their major purchase. Punjab Kings released the Australian wicketkeeper-batter before the auction started. He provides explosive batting and solid keeping skills together perfectly.
Mukul Choudhary went for Rs 2.60 crore after competitive bidding action. Mumbai Indians started the bidding at a Rs 30 lakh base. Lucknow Super Giants jumped in at Rs 1.10 crore and eventually won him.
Other additions include Naman Tiwari at Rs 1 crore. Akshat Raghuwanshi joined the Players list for Rs 2.20 crore total.
