• Source:JND
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IPL 2025: Ex-India pacer Zaheer Khan, who was part of Lucknow Super Giants' coaching staff for the recently concluded season is all set to be released by the Lucknow-based franchise. As per a cricbuzz report, Zaheer is at the receiving end of the disappointing campaign of the team this year. They could only win six matches out of 14 during the recently concluded season, scored 12 points, and finished in the seventh position in the points table.

As per the reports, Zaheer, who became the mentor for the Rishabh Pant-led side before the mega auctions last year, had signed just a one-year contract and that contract hasn't been renewed yet. As per sources, “It will be a surprise if he is continued."

“Zaheer was brought in to work alongside head coach Justin Langer, whose contract is also up for renewal. While it’s unclear how well the two coordinated during the season, there appears to be a sense of dissatisfaction within the squad and the management. The buzz at this stage suggests that the spotlight is more on Zaheer than on Langer," the Cricbuzz report said.

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“The LSG franchise owner Sanjiv Goenka is known to be passionate about cricket and the IPL prospects, and for the last two seasons, the team has not managed to make the playoffs. Though Zaheer cannot be answerable for the 2024 season, the management is not too happy with the way the team performed this season," the report added.

Zaheer, who has represented teams like MI, RCB, and DC during the IPL both as a player and the skipper of the Delhi Capitals, has had a good relationship with LSG skipper Rishabh Pant.

“While the team mentor cannot be held responsible for the captain’s underwhelming performance, it was Zaheer who helped shape the team’s vision and approach. Both he and Pant had spoken about playing a fearless brand of cricket this season. But whatever the intended approach, it did not yield the expected results" the report concluded.

The Lucknow-based franchise roped in Rishabh Pant for a whopping amount of Rs 27 crore during the mega auction last year but didn't live up to the expectations both as a skipper and a batter in the recently concluded season. He had smashed just one hundred and one half-century and at both times the team lost the match.