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The Lucknow Super Giants have become the face of "one of the most promising yet frustrating" types of franchises in the IPL. Ever since their debut season, they have been a strong team on paper with marquee players on their side. But in their 4-season long lifetime in the IPL, they haven't yet shown their mettle to be champions. It's time the Sanjiv Goenka-owned franchise starts flaring its fangs and does some actual damage. LSG finished 7th in the IPL last season and will have to get back to the drawing board and start from scratch. However, that might prove to be the wrong thing to do.

Also Read: MI Retention list ahead of IPL 2026: Who will the 5-time IPL champions retain?

LSG Retention Strategy

With a strong Indian core led by IPL's most expensive player, Rishabh Pant and an explosive overseas batters lineup with the likes of Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram and Nicholas Pooran. LSG might be one of the franchises with the most marquee retentions ahead of the IPL 2026 Mini-Auction. The non-negotiable core of the 4 aforementioned batters provides sustained aggression and belief that any score can be too little for comfort against them.

Backed with a good-quality young Indian engine room in Ayush Badoni and Abdul Samad, and the high-potential South African batter Matthew Breetzke, the Lucknow outfit might not need to look for much at the Auction table. Ravi Bishnoi will continue to lead the spin attack, supported by the pace of Avesh Khan and the utility of Shardul Thakur. The team has also identified breakout domestic performers like Digvesh Rathi, who will continue from last season. Aryan Juyal will fit the description of the backup Indian keeper to have, while Maniraman Siddharth, who featured in 2 matches last season, could be an investment for the future worth keeping.

A few other utility players aren't too bad to have around and develop, like Akash Singh (Left-Arm Pacer) and Prince Yadav (Right-Arm Pacer), who replaced the likes of Mohsin Khan and Mayank Yadav in their absence last season. The all-rounders that can be retained for utility by LSG could be Shahbaz Ahmad and Yuvraj Chaudhary. The final name in the retention list could be of William O'Rourke (Right-Arm Pacer), who impressed everyone with his astounding pace after coming in as an injury replacement.

Who will the Super Giants release?

To free up essential salary cap space, LSG faces the painful task of shedding high-cost assets that failed to provide consistent returns. The biggest name likely to be released is veteran T20 icon David Miller. Despite his fame, his subpar strike rate and low aggregate runs in 2025 made his high salary unjustifiable. It is time for the franchise to look forward.

The saddest cut may be tearaway pacer Mayank Yadav. Though his potential is immense, recurring, career-limiting injuries may force the management to prioritise availability over raw pace. Finally, Indian pacer Akash Deep and overseas quick Shamar Joseph should be considered surplus to requirements, as LSG plans to pool these freed purse to acquire the services of a marquee overseas pacer or a game-changing spinner at the auction.

LSG Probable Retention List (16 Players)

Rishabh Pant (WK-Batter, C)

Nicholas Pooran (WK-Batter, O)

Mitchell Marsh (All-rounder, O)

Aiden Markram (Batter, O)

Ayush Badoni (All-Rounder)

Abdul Samad (All-Rounder)

Ravi Bishnoi (Bowler)

Avesh Khan (Bowler)

Shardul Thakur (All-rounder)

Digvesh Rathi (Bowler)

M. Siddharth (Bowler)

Prince Yadav (Bowler)

Shahbaz Ahmad (All-rounder)

Yuvraj Chaudhary (All-Rounder)

William O'Rourke (Bowler, O)

Aryan Juyal (Wicket-Keeper)

LSG Auction Purse for IPL 2026 Mini-Auction

New Total Auction Purse (Estimated): 125.00 Cr

Minus: Total Cost of 16 Retained Players: 108.40 Cr

Estimated Remaining Auction Purse: 16.60 cr