Zaheer Khan, a legendary left-arm fast bowler and a prominent figure in Indian cricket, has taken on a new role as the mentor for the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the upcoming IPL season. The appointment was announced at the RPSG Group Headquarters in Kolkata on Wednesday.
Zaheer steps into the mentor role previously held by Gautam Gambhir, who has now joined the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and led them to their third IPL title. Gambhir’s departure followed his appointment as the head coach of India’s men’s team in July, succeeding Rahul Dravid.
At 45, Zaheer joins a coaching staff that includes seasoned figures like Justin Langer as head coach, and assistants Lance Klusener and Adam Voges. The team is currently without a bowling coach following Morne Morkel’s move to the Indian team in the same capacity.
Zaheer’s appointment brings a wealth of experience to the LSG. He was a key member of India’s 2011 ODI World Cup-winning team and has a successful IPL career, playing for Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and Delhi Capitals. In his 100 IPL matches, he picked up 102 wickets with an impressive economy rate of 7.58.
Reports suggest that Zaheer will also be leading the franchise’s talent development program, although this has not been officially confirmed. He has previously been associated with the Mumbai Indians franchise from 2018 to 2022, serving as the director of cricket and later as the head of global development. Zaheer was also part of the commentary team for JioCinema’s digital broadcasts during the IPL 2023 and 2024 seasons.
LSG, owned by Sanjiv Goenka since 2022 for INR 7090 crore, plays its home matches at the BRSABV Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. The team has made impressive strides, reaching the playoffs in both the 2022 and 2023 seasons. However, they exited during the eliminator matches in both years. In IPL 2024, LSG missed the playoffs due to a negative Net Run Rate (NRR) and finished seventh in the points table.
With Zaheer Khan’s guidance, the Lucknow Super Giants will be hoping to improve on their performance in the upcoming IPL season and challenge for the coveted title.
