The Lucknow Super Giants, led by Rishabh Pant, announced their IPL 2026 retentions and released players while also completing several trades ahead of the mini-auction, where they will enter with a purse of ₹22.95 crore.
Mohammed Shami was traded in from Sunrisers Hyderabad for ₹10 crore, while Arjun Tendulkar joined from Mumbai Indians for ₹30 lakh, and Shardul Thakur was traded out to MI for ₹2.4 crore. Arjun, who debuted for MI in 2023 and played five matches, taking three wickets, now joins LSG as a bowling all-rounder, while Shami, who managed six wickets in nine games for SRH, also joins the Pant-led side.
The league confirmed the trade by saying,
“Bowling all-rounder Arjun Tendulkar will represent Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) following a successful transfer from Mumbai Indians… Arjun will move to LSG at his existing fee of INR 30 Lakh,” and added, “Veteran fast bowler Mohd Shami will turn out for the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) after a successful trade from Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)… Shami… will move to LSG at his existing fee.”
LSG released David Miller, Ravi Bishnoi, Akash Deep, Shamar Joseph, Aryan Juyal, Yuvraj Chaudhary, and Rajvardhan Hangargekar, while retaining a core that includes Rishabh Pant, Abdul Samad, Ayush Badoni, Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Matthew Breetzke, Nicholas Pooran, Himmat Singh, Shahbaz Ahmed, Arshin Kulkarni, Mayank Yadav, Avesh Khan, Mohsin Khan, Digvesh Rathi, M Siddharth, Prince Yadav, and Akash Singh.
Bishnoi’s exit comes after two underwhelming seasons despite being retained for ₹11 crore ahead of the 2025 mega auction, with LSG feeling he did not grow into the match-winner they expected; the legspinner was also offered for trade but found no takers. Miller and Akash Deep, bought for ₹7.5 crore and ₹8 crore, respectively, leave after disappointing 2025 returns, with Miller managing 153 runs at a strike rate of 127.49 and Akash Deep taking only three wickets across six matches at an economy of 12.05.
What Players should the Punjab Kings eye at the IPL 2026 Auction
Lucknow Super Giants head into the IPL 2026 mini-auction with ₹22.95 crore, six open slots, and four overseas vacancies, and their targets line up clearly after releasing Miller, Ravi Bishnoi, Shardul Thakur, Akash Deep, Shamar Joseph, Aryan Juyal, Yuvraj Chaudhary, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, and Will O’Rourke. Their biggest needs sit in the middle order, overseas all-rounder depth, an overseas fast bowler, and a frontline Indian spinner.
LSG may look at Venkatesh Iyer as a ready middle-order solution after KKR released him, a move that fills the Miller-shaped gap in their finishing setup, while Glenn Maxwell also fits their requirement for an experienced, flexible power hitter. For overseas all-round depth behind Mitchell Marsh, both Andre Russell and Cameron Green remain big-name options in the market.
Even though LSG has already acquired Shami and Arjun Tendulkar through trades, the bowling unit might also get attention. Following his release from CSK, Matheesha Pathirana becomes a prime target to strengthen their overseas pace attack. In order to bring their attack back into balance now that Bishnoi is gone, LSG might look to replace him with Rahul Chahar, an Indian leg-spinner.
LSG Target Players 2026
| Player | Role |
| Venkatesh Iyer | Middle-order batter |
| Glenn Maxwell | Batting all-rounder |
| Andre Russell | All-rounder |
| Cameron Green | All-rounder |
| Matheesha Pathirana | Fast bowler (death overs) |
| Rahul Chahar | Leg-spinner |
FAQs
Q. Who is the captain of the Lucknow Super Giants?
A. Rishabh Pant is the captain of Lucknow Super Giants for IPL 2025. He was appointed after KL Rahul was released.
Q. Which players did LSG release for IPL 2026?
A. LSG released David Miller, Ravi Bishnoi, Aryan Juyal, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Yuvraj Chaudhary, Akash Deep, Will O’Rourke, and Shamar Joseph.
Q. Is Mohammed Shami traded?
A. Yes. Mohammed Shami has been traded from Sunrisers Hyderabad to Lucknow Super Giants. The trade was confirmed on the Retention Deadline Day.
Q. Is Arjun Tendulkar in LSG?
A. Yes. Arjun Tendulkar has been traded from the Mumbai Indians to the Lucknow Super Giants.
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