Zaheer Khan Joins Lucknow Super Giants as Mentor for IPL 2025

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) has officially announced the appointment of former India seamer Zaheer Khan as their mentor for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season. Zaheer steps into the role previously held by Gautam Gambhir, who guided the team until IPL 2023 before moving on to mentor the Kolkata Knight Riders, the team that won the IPL 2024 title.

Zaheer Khan brings a wealth of experience to LSG, both from his illustrious playing career and his tenure in key roles with the Mumbai Indians. During his IPL career, Zaheer represented Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore, and Delhi Daredevils, playing 100 matches and claiming 102 wickets with an impressive economy rate of 7.59. Post-retirement, Zaheer served as the director of cricket and later as head of global development for Mumbai Indians from 2018 to 2022.

Speaking at a media event in Kolkata alongside Zaheer, LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka addressed recent rumors about KL Rahul’s future with the team, reaffirming Rahul’s importance to the franchise. “I have been meeting KL on and off regularly over the last three years. He is integral [to LSG]. He has been here since the inception. For me personally and for [my son] Shashwat [Goenka, who is also involved in running LSG], he is like family,” Goenka stated.

Goenka also emphasized the importance of continuity and growth within the team. “When you have a mega auction, you are bound to have a reset. But you try and maintain as much of the core as possible. The coach Justin Langer continues, [support staff] Lance Klusener and Jonty Rhodes will also be there. So it is a question of improving and going further from where you are now,” he said, as reported by ESPNcricinfo.

KL Rahul, despite facing some criticism for his strike rate during IPL 2024, remains a key player for LSG, finishing among the top 10 run-scorers with 520 runs in 14 matches at an average of 37.14, including four fifties.

Zaheer Khan’s appointment as mentor is expected to bring a new dimension to LSG’s strategy and performance as the team prepares for the challenges of IPL 2025.