The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), with Rishabh Pant as captain, have made their decisions regarding player retentions, those who will no longer be part of the squad and those who will be exchanged before the IPL 2026 auction. The franchise will participate in the auction with an amount of ₹22.95 crore and six open positions, among which four are designated for international players.
Ahead of the mini-auction, LSG reshuffled their squad significantly. The franchise based in Lucknow transferred Mohammed Shami from Sunrisers Hyderabad for ₹10 crore. They also got Arjun Tendulkar from the Mumbai Indians for ₹30 lakh. The last transaction involved the team’s trade of Shardul Thakur to MI for ₹2.4 crore.
Moreover, the team managed to clear a number of their players ahead of the mini-draft in order to make space for new signings and be more flexible in their purse capability. Here, we look at the list of players that LSG might target in the IPL 2026 mini-auction to fill key gaps in their squad.
1.Akash Madhwal
The major problem that LSG faced during the last season was their inconsistent bowling, and that stemmed from the fact that some fast bowlers got injured. Mayank Yadav, Mohammed Shami (who was traded in), Avesh Khan, Mohsin Khan, Digvesh Rathi, and Prince Yadav comprise the current bowling unit of the franchise, but it still requires a trustworthy Indian pace bowler and a death bowler specialist.
Akash Madhwal, who was with Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2025, might turn out to be the perfect choice. Even though he could play only 4 matches and took 4 wickets bowling at an economy rate of 11.06, still his skiddy speed, accuracy in yorkers, and coolness under pressure are what LSG needs so he’s a perfect fit. Death bowling is one area Madhwal could be upper-class and LSG would not miss out like the last season.
2.Abhinav Manohar
Though the top order was strong, the middle order of LSG was weak in IPL 2025 and caused the team to lose some valuable matches. The release of David Miller has left the team looking for a dependable finisher who will be able to play the role of anchoring the innings and generating the needed run flow.
Abhinav Manohar could be a nice addition to LSG. If we check his T20 stats, he is the one who has played 50 matches and scored 790 runs at a strike rate of 143.63 with an average of 28.21. In IPL 2025, Manohar showed up in 8 matches and could make only 61 runs with an average of 12.20.
3.Wanindu Hasaranga
With IPL 2026 around the corner, LSG will be on the lookout for a spin-bowling all-rounder who will be able to provide support with the bat during difficult times. Wanindu Hasaranga is the one who perfectly meets this need.
Since Ravi Bishnoi has been released, LSG can set their sights on the Sri Lankan sensation for his superb leg-spin and his ability to bat in the lower order. Hasaranga might work well with Digvesh Rathi, creating an enviable spin partnership. Moreover, he is a finisher who comes in handy, which gives the team an option in the batting order.
4.Glenn Maxwell
The overseas players’ quota for LSG consists of 4 players, and these have to be so-called the “high-impact” multi-dimensional players. One such player who at least could be a target for LSG is Glenn Maxwell, who has just been released by Punjab Kings after a not so good IPL 2025 season.
Maxwell, who managed to gather only 48 runs in 6 innings and took 4 wickets with an economy of 27.50, is still of great worth owing to his experience, his explosive batting, and his capability of spinning the ball. A player like Maxwell can not only reinforce the lower-middle order but also being a bowler can help the team at the same time, thus solving two issues for the franchise.
