Ahead of the much-anticipated IPL 2025 mega auction, several franchises revealed their retention lists, with Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) making notable announcements.
Among those retained by LSG were Nicholas Pooran, Mayank Yadav, and Ravi Bishnoi, along with uncapped players Mohsin Khan and Ayush Badoni. However, Afghanistan pacer Naveen-ul-Haq was not among the retained players.
Expressing his gratitude, Naveen shared an emotional message on Instagram: “Thankful for the opportunity and being part of this amazing team for the past 2 seasons. My best wishes will always be with everyone involved in this team in future—to the management staff, the guys working behind the scenes, and not to forget LSG brigade. Thank you, everyone @lucknowsupergiants.”
In another major move, LSG also released former skipper KL Rahul, who had led the team to playoff appearances in 2022 and 2023.
However, after a disappointing 2024 season, the franchise decided not to retain him. Nicholas Pooran, the franchise’s top retention, is expected to take on the leadership role in the 2025 season.
In his two seasons with LSG, Naveen-ul-Haq made a strong impact, playing 18 matches and taking 25 wickets at an economy rate of 9.16.
Despite LSG’s seventh-place finish last season, they’ll be aiming for a stronger performance in the upcoming campaign.