Zaheer Khan Makes Great IPL Return, Set To Mentor LSG Franchise

From player to mentor, Zaheer Khan worked hard to get to where he is now. Zaheer has joined as a consultant for the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). He took over for Gautam Gambhir, who left after the 2023 Indian Premier League. Gambhir led the Indian men’s squad after taking up the mentorship role at Kolkata Knight Riders for the 2024 Indian Premier League. After Morne Morkel left the franchise to work with Gambhir’s coaching staff with the Indian squad, Zaheer would also assume the role of bowling coach. 

In a post-unveiling media conference, Zaheer smiled and stated, but he did not say specifically that he would be the bowling coach. Zaheer worked for the Mumbai Indians (MI) team from 2018 to 2022. He held the positions of head of global development and director of cricket. Before this, he played in the Indian Premier League for the Delhi Daredevils, MI, and Royal Challengers Bangalore. 

Zaheer Khan’s IPL Journey

Zaheer Khan made 100 appearances for the three clubs over ten seasons. Amazingly, he took 102 wickets at an economy rate of 7.58 runs per game. In his last season with Daredevils, he captained the team in 2017 before retiring from cricket. In addition to Zaheer Khan’s mentorship, LSG wants to give him more recognition, which will entail involving him in scouting and player-development initiatives during the off-season. In the run-up to the 2024 Indian Premier League, Justin Langer, who succeeded Andy Flower as head coach of LSG, will remain in that role. 

Adam Voges and Lance Klusener are his assistants. The KL Rahul-led team missed a top-four spot in 2024 after making the playoffs in their first two seasons due to a lower net run rate. Teams are getting ready for a massive auction when Zaheer Khan decides to rejoin the IPL. The IPL will likely release the retention regulations to the public by early September. Before taking over as head of global development, Zaheer was the Mumbai Indians’ director of cricket operations.

LSG’s Need for a Bowling Coach

On Wednesday, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) selected Zaheer Khan as their mentor, attempting to reset their squad for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) mega auction. With the departure of South African quick Morne Morkel, who has joined Gambhir’s coaching staff, LSG does not currently have a bowling coach. 

There is a possibility that Zaheer Khan will show his expertise by providing bowling coach services. Also in scouting activities in the off-season. LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka seemed very satisfied with Zaheer’s abilities as a key player. He also admired his role as a coach and strategist, and now he has recruited the former India bowler within the last two weeks.

Zaheer Khan, who previously worked with the Mumbai Indians, stated that while LSG was a new organization with only three years of existence, “the building blocks” were already in place. “The consistency you see in reaching the playoffs 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,” LSG’s new mentor stated.