Picture Credit: BCCI/IPL
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) were expecting Rishabh Pant to lead from the front in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 and win the illustrious trophy. However, the 27-year-old looked completely underconfident as captain and batter which led to LSG’s disastrous campaign. It was the second consecutive season when Lucknow failed to qualify for the playoffs. Pant, who was playing as the most-expensive IPL player in the tournament, looked completely miserable as a batter as he could score 269 runs in 14 matches. Donning the skipper’s role, he could guide Lucknow to only six wins in 14 outings.
Following Pant’s underwhelming performance, his critics are urging LSG to release him prior to the IPL 2026 auction. However, it’s highly unlikely to happen as Pant’s overall IPL record is sensational. Ahead of the next season, Super Giants will make reforms which might lead to the exclusion of some players from Lucknow’s retained list.
Discussing some names, SportsTiger has come up with three players who might be released from LSG before IPL 2026:
3. Will O’Rourke
New Zealand speedster Will O’Rourke played three games for LSG in IPL 2025 but he couldn’t deliver anything solid to the team in two matches. In Lucknow’s final game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the Ekana Cricket Stadium, the Kiwi bowler got beaten mercilessly. Bowling four overs, he registered 2/74 figures, which is the third costliest spell in the history of the league.
2. Ravi Bishnoi
India spinner Ravi Bishnoi was expected to spearhead Lucknow’s spin attack confidently but he also struggled to be among the wickets. The leggie became a part of the playing XI for 11 games and took only nine wickets at a dismal economy of 10.83.
1. David Miller
South Africa veteran David Miller’s job was to fulfill the role of finisher in the competition. However, numbers reveal that the 36-year-old failed to justify his part in the side. Showing up in 11 matches, he amassed only 153 runs at an economy of 30.60 and a strike rate of 127.50.
