LSG is unlikely to retain their captain KL Rahul for IPL 2025.
Lucknow Super Giants are poised to retain Nicholas Pooran, Mayank Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, and the uncapped duo of Mohsin Khan and Ayush Badoni for the IPL 2025.
KL Rahul, who has headed the club since its formation in 2022, is unlikely to be retained unless both parties change their minds at the last minute, therefore LSG will have one right-to-match (RTM) card at the auction.
The sum signed up for by the five players is unknown, however, based on the retention slabs implemented by the IPL, INR 51 crore will be removed from the LSG's budget.
If the total amount paid to the five surpasses 51 crore, the greater figure would be removed from the INR 120 crore fund each club has granted to create their squads for IPL 2025.
Nicholas Pooran, who captained LSG in a couple of games, is expected to be the top retention followed by pacer Mayank Yadav and spinner Ravi Bishnoi.
Pooran, 29, was bought by LSG ahead of the 2023 season for INR 16 crore and his price tag has always been on an upwards trajectory ever since Punjab Kings brought him IPL 2017 for INR 30 lakhs.
Mayank won two Player-of-the-Match accolades in his first two IPL outings in 2024, delivering at 150 kph or faster. While a side strain limited him to only four matches, the national selectors promptly added him to the list of fast bowlers awarded contracts.
Despite being uncapped at the time, Bishnoi was one of three players signed up by LSG for INR 4 crore ahead of the major auction before IPL 2022. In that season, Bishnoi picked 13 wickets, following that up with 16 wickets in IPL 2023 and 10 in IPL 2024.
Badoni and Mohsin, both uncapped and purchased for INR 20 lakhs each in the 2022 auction, were critical to LSG's success. Badoni, an aggressive middle-order batter, had his greatest season in 2023 when he scored 238 runs with a strike rate of 138 in 12 innings.
Mohsin, a 6'3" left-arm fast bowler from Uttar Pradesh, impressed right away in his first IPL season in 2022. He took 14 wickets and missed more than a year due to an injury that nearly resulted in the loss of his arm.
He reappeared in the latter half of the 2023 season and concluded 2024 with ten wickets in ten games.
(ESPNCricinfo report)