Cricket

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), a young franchise in the Indian Premier League (IPL), has appointed former India pacer Zaheer Khan as its mentor ahead of the upcoming mega auction. LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka, impressed by Zaheer's experience as a player, coach, and strategist, hired him in the last two weeks."We are very excited to have him on board. We do believe he will do wonders for the future of LSG," said Goenka at a press conference.Zaheer, who previously worked with Mumbai Indians, acknowledged LSG's potential despite its short existence. "The building blocks are in place," he said. "The consistency you see in reaching the playoffs is something which is so tough in this fierce competition. That is something which gives me a lot of confidence when I'm looking at coming and contributing to this franchise's success."Zaheer emphasized his role in fostering a culture of open communication and decision-making. "I'll make sure a process which is required for each and every individual to express themselves freely, to bring a lot of victories to the franchise and the decision making which is so crucial. I think those are the aspects which we'll be closely looking at. I'm looking to build that culture, that mindset at LSG to (help it) go to the next level," said Zaheer, who will also serve as the bowling coach.Goenka refrained from providing details about the possible team composition, citing the BCCI's upcoming announcement of its player retention policy for the mega auction. However, he expressed confidence in LSG captain K.L. Rahul, stating that he is "like family" and will continue to play an important role.Coach Justin Langer, assistant coach Lance Klusener, and fielding coach Jonty Rhodes will remain with the team.

Zaheer Khan, the former Indian fast bowler, is poised to join the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) franchise as their mentor, succeeding Gautam Gambhir, who departed after the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. Gambhir has since assumed the role of mentor at Kolkata Knight Riders for IPL 2024 and has recently been appointed head coach of the Indian men's cricket team.Zaheer's potential appointment as LSG's mentor raises questions about whether he will also assume the role of bowling coach, a position vacated by Morne Morkel, who joined Gambhir's coaching staff with the Indian team. From 2018 to 2022, Zaheer held various positions with the Mumbai Indians (MI) franchise, including director of cricket and head of global development.Prior to his administrative roles, Zaheer enjoyed a successful playing career in the IPL, representing three different teams: MI, Royal Challengers Bangalore, and Delhi Daredevils. Over ten seasons, he amassed 102 wickets in 100 matches, maintaining an impressive economy rate of 7.58. His last IPL appearance came in 2017 while leading the Daredevils, before he retired from all forms of cricket.As reported by ESPNcricinfo, LSG intends to grant Zaheer a broader role beyond mentorship, involving him in scouting and player development programs during the off-season. The franchise's coaching setup is currently led by Justin Langer, who replaced Andy Flower as head coach ahead of IPL 2024. Lance Klusener and Adam Voges serve as his assistants.After securing playoff berths in their first two seasons, LSG narrowly missed out on a top-four finish in 2024 due to net run rate. Zaheer's potential return to the IPL coincides with teams preparing for a mega auction, with the IPL expected to announce retention rules by early September.

Zaheer Khan, the former Indian fast bowler, is reportedly in talks with the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) franchise for a mentorship role. LSG is keen on bringing in a seasoned Indian player with extensive T20 experience to bolster their coaching setup following the departure of Gautam Gambhir.Zaheer, who recently stepped down as Mumbai Indians' head of global development, has been approached by two other franchises as well. Prior to his role at MI, he served as the franchise's director of cricket from 2018 to 2022.LSG has been without a mentor since Gambhir's departure late last year. Gambhir, who played a key role in Kolkata Knight Riders' third IPL title triumph in 2024, has since taken over as India's head coach. Morne Morkel, the former South African pacer who was LSG's bowling coach, has joined Gambhir's team as the bowling coach.In addition to the mentorship role, LSG is also considering giving Zaheer a broader profile that would involve scouting and player development during the off-season. The franchise's backroom staff is currently led by Justin Langer, who replaced Andy Flower as head coach ahead of IPL 2024. Lance Klusener and Adam Voges serve as his assistants.After securing playoff berths in their first two seasons, LSG narrowly missed out on a top-four finish in 2024 due to net run rate. Zaheer's potential return to the IPL comes at a time when teams are preparing for a mega auction. The IPL is expected to announce the retention rules by early September.Zaheer represented three franchises during his playing career: Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore, and Delhi Daredevils. He played 100 matches across ten seasons, claiming 102 wickets at an economy rate of 7.59. His last IPL appearance was in 2017, when he led the Daredevils before retiring from all forms of cricket.Meanwhile, Punjab Kings is also searching for an Indian head coach to replace Trevor Bayliss. They were reportedly interested in VVS Laxman, but that option is no longer available as Laxman has extended his tenure as head of the BCCI's National Cricket Academy. Sanjay Bangar currently serves as Punjab Kings' head of cricket development.

The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), an Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise, is reportedly in negotiations with former Indian pace bowler Zaheer Khan for the role of mentor. This move comes after the departure of Gautam Gambhir, who left the franchise in 2023 to join the Kolkata Knight Riders.Zaheer, 45, is a highly respected figure in Indian cricket, having played 92 Tests, 200 ODIs, and 17 T20Is for the national team. He was known for his exceptional bowling skills and his ability to mentor young fast bowlers.If the negotiations are successful, Zaheer will fill the void created by the departures of Gambhir and bowling coach Morne Morkel, who has joined Team India in the same capacity. Sources within the IPL indicate that Zaheer is being considered for the role previously held by Gambhir.Zaheer was initially considered for the bowling coach position under Gambhir's new set-up in Team India, but the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) reportedly preferred Morkel on Gambhir's recommendation.During his playing career, Zaheer was recognized for his role in mentoring young fast bowlers within the Indian team. If he joins LSG, he will be collaborating with head coach Justin Langer and a robust coaching team, including Adam Voges, Lance Klusener, and Jonty Rhodes.The report also indicates that another notable coach may be added to the Sanjiv Goenka-owned franchise, though details are not yet clear.LSG, which came into existence in 2022, reached the play-offs in their first two seasons. However, they missed out on a top-four spot in the 2023 edition due to an inferior Net Run Rate (NRR).Meanwhile, the BCCI is expected to announce the retention rules by the month's end. Teams are projected to be allowed around six retentions, including the Right to Match (RTM) option. Despite calls from some franchises to discontinue the Big Auction, the BCCI plans to retain it for now.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 season witnessed a heated on-field clash between Royal Challengers Bangalore's Virat Kohli and Lucknow Super Giants' Naveen-ul-Haq. The incident escalated beyond the match, involving Lucknow coach Gautam Gambhir and sparking a heated argument that required intervention from teammates.According to Lucknow spinner Amit Mishra, the altercation stemmed from an incident in Bengaluru, where Gambhir made a "finger on mouth" gesture towards the home crowd. Mishra believes Kohli took offense to this gesture and began verbally abusing LSG players in their subsequent encounter.Mishra expressed that Kohli could have avoided certain actions, but chose not to. He claims that Kohli verbally attacked Kyle Myers and Naveen-ul-Haq, even during their bowling spells. Mishra attempted to intervene, but Kohli directed him to address Naveen instead.The situation worsened after the match, as Kohli continued to abuse Naveen during the customary handshakes. Gambhir intervened, questioning why Kohli was reigniting the issue after the game had concluded. Mishra intervened to separate Gambhir, but Naveen later reported that Kohli had resumed his verbal attacks.Mishra believes that while Kohli and Naveen may have publicly reconciled, the incident has likely damaged their relationship. He questions whether Naveen will ever truly respect Kohli again, and expresses concern about the impact on younger players who witnessed the altercation.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season was marred by a controversial incident involving Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) owner Sanjeev Goenka and skipper KL Rahul. Following LSG's humiliating 10-wicket loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Goenka was caught on camera having a heated confrontation with Rahul.LSG spinner Amit Mishra, in an interview with YouTuber Shubhankar Mishra, shed light on the incident. Mishra revealed that Goenka's anger stemmed from LSG's consecutive heavy defeats. "He was disappointed. We lost two back-to-back matches very badly," Mishra said. "It felt like we were bowling them during a net practice session."Mishra clarified that Goenka's criticism was directed at the team's lack of fight and poor bowling performance. "He said that the bowling was very bad and the team should have shown some fight," Mishra explained. "It looked like you have completely surrendered."However, Mishra downplayed the severity of the incident, attributing it to the media's sensationalism. "It was not a huge deal," he said. "But I later came to know that he said that the bowling was very bad and the team should have shown some fight. It looked like you have completely surrendered. But I feel people and media hyped it up a bit."Amidst rumors of Rahul's potential departure from LSG, Mishra expressed his belief that the team should prioritize a captain with a strong T20 mentality and a commitment to the team's success. "It does not matter if he is in the Indian team or not," Mishra said. "But a person who has the right mentality for T20s should be the captain. Someone who plays for the team should be captain. I am sure LSG will look for a better captain."

Australia's hopes of defending their T20 World Cup title were dashed after Afghanistan's stunning victory over Bangladesh in the final Super 8s match. The Afghans' triumph secured their maiden World Cup semifinal berth, while simultaneously eliminating Australia from the tournament.Australia's fate was sealed by India's 24-run victory over them in their previous match. The win held a sense of revenge for India, who had lost to Australia in the ODI World Cup final last year.Prior to their elimination, Australia had discussed "manipulating" the result of their final group-stage match against Scotland to knock England out of the tournament. However, their plans were thwarted by Afghanistan's upset victory.Australia finished third in Group 1 with two points, while Afghanistan's win over Bangladesh propelled them to second place with four points. From Group 2, South Africa qualified as the table toppers, while England finished behind them to secure the second semifinal spot.Afghanistan's victory was particularly sweet for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), who have Naveen ul Haq and Rashid Khan on their IPL roster. Naveen starred for Afghanistan with four wickets against Bangladesh, while Rashid orchestrated the collapse with another four wickets.

Lucknow Super Giants Owner's Outburst: Rishabh Pant Weighs InOver a month after Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) owner Sanjiv Goenka's angry outburst at skipper KL Rahul, Delhi Capitals (DC) captain Rishabh Pant has shared his perspective on the incident.Goenka's outburst, captured on camera, occurred after LSG suffered a humiliating defeat to SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) in a crucial match. SRH chased down a 166-run target in just 58 balls, marking the biggest loss in IPL history in terms of balls to spare.Pant, while acknowledging that he was unaware of the specific details of the exchange between Goenka and Rahul, emphasized that such conversations are common after heavy losses. He also revealed that he has experienced similar exchanges but handles them in his own way."I actually didn't understand what happened in that situation. It seemed so by looking at it, and although I'm not sure what happened, there was something there. When you lose a match, there are obviously a lot of conversations. But the way it was portrayed, I'm not sure. I didn't see the video in real-time; otherwise, I would have given you an answer. I get scolded every day, but I'm also stubborn," Pant said on 'Aap ki Adalat' on India TV.Goenka's attachment to LSG is evident, having bid over Rs 7000 crore to acquire the franchise in 2021. Under Rahul's captaincy, LSG reached the playoffs in its first two years. However, this year, the team finished outside the top four.The franchise underwent a significant management change, with Justin Langer replacing Andy Flower as head coach. Despite these changes, LSG failed to replicate its previous success.Pant's comments highlight the pressure and scrutiny that team owners and captains face in the high-stakes environment of the IPL. While such exchanges may be common, they underscore the importance of maintaining professionalism and finding constructive ways to address team performance.

Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants' disappointing IPL 2024 campaigns culminated on Friday with both teams failing to qualify for the playoffs. For Mumbai Indians, the removal of Rohit Sharma as captain cast a long shadow, while current skipper Hardik Pandya faced criticism from fans. Lucknow Super Giants, despite coming close to the playoffs, were marred by negative publicity surrounding an animated discussion between owner Sanjiv Goenka and skipper KL Rahul.In their final match, Lucknow Super Giants emerged victorious against Mumbai Indians. Post-match, Goenka engaged in a lengthy conversation with Rohit Sharma, sparking speculation about the latter's potential departure from Mumbai Indians.Rohit Sharma's performance in IPL 2024 fell short of expectations, but he remained focused on improving his game. Despite his struggles, he ended the tournament with a brilliant 38-ball 68. Overall, he amassed 417 runs in 14 innings, including a century and a fifty."As a batter, I know I didn't live up to the standard," Rohit admitted. "But I try to stay in a good mindset, in the right zone, keep practicing, and improve on all the flaws in my game."Mumbai Indians endured a dismal season, finishing at the bottom of the points table. "Our season didn't go according to plan," Rohit said. "We blame ourselves for this because we made too many mistakes during the season."Rohit Sharma's next assignment will be to lead India in the 2024 Men's T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA. India will face Bangladesh in a warm-up match on June 1 before opening their campaign against Ireland on June 5.