When it comes to ranking the performances of franchises at the most recent Indian Premier League mini auction, the Lucknow Super Giants will definitely be in the middle. The squad of LSG for the IPL 2026 looks good on paper, though there is a chance that some holes may appear during the season. The team led by Rishabh Pant got Mohammed Shami and Arjun Tendulkar in the trade window prior to the mini-auction held in Abu Dhabi.
Lucknow Super Giants purchased three big names – Anrich Nortje, Wanindu Hasaranga, and Josh Inglis – at the auction. There was a lot of talk about Inglis’s availability especially after Punjab Kings released him early due to unavailability issues. Other than that, the LSG IPL 2026 squad looks like a good team on paper. However, issues may arise that could take a toll during the two-month tournament.
Let us share the strengths, weaknesses, and best possible playing XI of the LSG IPL 2026 squad with you, just before the 19th edition of the cash-rich league.
Complete LSG IPL 2026 Squad
Rishabh Pant, Nicholas Pooran, Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Ayush Badoni, Himmat Singh, Matthew Breetzke, Abdul Samad, Shahbaz Ahmad, Arshin Kulkarni, Avesh Khan, Manimaran Siddharth, Digvesh Rathi, Akash Singh, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav, Mohsin Khan, Mohammed Shami, Arjun Tendulkar, Wanindu Hasaranga, Anrich Nortje, Mukul Choudhary, Naman Tiwari, Akshat Raghuwanshi, and Josh Inglis.
Lucknow Super Giants Best XI
Mitchell Marsh ✈️
Aiden Markram ✈️
Nicholas Pooran ✈️
Rishabh Pant
Ayush Badoni
Abdul Samad
Anrich Nortje ✈️
Digvesh Rathi
Mohammed Shami
Avesh Khan
Mayank Yadav
LSG IPL 2026 Squad Strengths
Lucknow Super Giants were very much supported by the great opening partnerships in their last season when they ended up at the seventh position in the points table with six victories. The retention of both Aiden Markram and Mitchell Marsh for the upcoming season is a clear signal that the franchise will keep on with the power-hitting at the top of the batting order.
Besides the strong bowling attack, Lucknow Super Giants have good pace in their arsenal. Still, it has a catch. The team led by Rishabh Pant has eight fast bowlers in the LSG IPL 2026 squad. But keeping them fit for the entire season will be a very tough job for the physiotherapists. If they pull it off, then the LSG bowling unit can cause some chaos in the batting lines.
By swapping Mohammed Shami before the mini-auction, the franchise has a bowler with lots of experience in the powerplay next to Anrich Nortje. They also have Avesh Khan, who can be the one to get the perfect yorkers at the death.
LSG IPL 2026 Squad Weaknesses
One of the main weaknesses, or threats, in the LSG IPL 2026 squad is that there are no power hitters in the line-up. The franchise has an experienced top-order, but there is no power down the order. They can call upon Matthew Breetzke, but to put him in the playing XI might seem like a problem. That is the reason why they should have really tried to get Liam Livingstone in the mini auction.
Bowlers such as Anrich Nortje and Mayank Yadav are very likely to get injured. Their physical condition would be a great challenge considering the tournament lasts more than two months.
The strength of the spin department may create lot of questions as well. The three spinners include Shahbaz Ahmed, Digvesh Rathi and Manimaran Siddharth, with Aiden Markram who can spin as well. However, the franchise is lacking one good quality spinner. The management ended the auction with a balance of INR 4.55 crore and they could have done more.
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