Zaheer Khan has recently stepped into the role of mentor for the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), following the departure of Gautam Gambhir post IPL 2023. Gambhir, who transitioned to the mentorship role at Kolkata Knight Riders for IPL 2024, has now further ascended to the position of head coach for the India men's team. Zaheer's responsibilities also extend to taking over as the bowling coach, succeeding Morne Morkel, who migrated to Gambhir's coaching squad with the Indian team.
Having served with the Mumbai Indians (MI) from 2018 to 2022, first as the cricket director and later as the head of global development, Zaheer brings a wealth of experience to LSG. His IPL journey as a player spans across three teams - MI, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and Delhi Daredevils - totaling 100 matches over ten seasons and clinching 102 wickets at an economy rate of 7.58. Zaheer's illustrious playing career concluded in 2017 while leading Daredevils, marking his retirement from all cricket formats.
LSG aims to broaden Zaheer's role beyond just mentorship, considering involvement in scouting and player development initiatives during the off-season, as reported by ESPNcricinfo earlier. The coaching ensemble at LSG is spearheaded by Justin Langer, who assumed the head coach position prior to IPL 2024, backed by assistants Lance Klusener and Adam Voges. Despite securing playoff berths in their initial two seasons, the team led by KL Rahul narrowly missed out on the top four in 2024 due to net run rate calculations.
Zaheer's reintroduction to the IPL landscape coincides with teams gearing up for a significant mega auction. Timeline-wise, the IPL is expected to unveil the retention regulations by early September, a vital piece of information as the tournament dynamics continue to evolve. Keep updated for the latest developments as LSG finalizes its coaching roster post the official announcement.