Mentor Zaheer Khan Steps Down From Role With Lucknow Super Giants Ahead Of IPL 2026: Report

Ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, former India speedster Zaheer Khan parted ways with Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) as the mentor of the franchise.

According to a report from ESPNcricinfo, Zaheer Khan informed the Lucknow-based franchise about his decision on Thursday, September 18.

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Here's Why Zaheer Khan Stepped Down As The Mentor Of LSG

The report further stated that Zaheer Khan stepped down from his mentorship role after his vision for the franchise did not align with head coach Justin Langer and owner Sanjeev Goenka.

The 46-year-old took charge as the mentor of the Lucknow Super Giants in August 2024, months after Gautam Gambhir vacated the position. 0Under Zaheer Khan's mentorship, the Super Giants played only the 2025 season of the IPL.

Before joining LSG, Zaheer Khan served as the Director of Cricket Operations of the Mumbai Indians, and served them from 2018 till 2022.

The Lucknow-based franchise have displayed a poor performance in the last two seasons of the IPL, failing to reach the knockout stage of the cash-rich tournament.

LSG finished their voyage at the IPL 2025 in seventh place on the standings with 12 points and a net run rate of -0.376. The Super Giants played 14 matches in the 18th season of the IPL, clinching six wins and conceding eight defeats.

Earlier at the IPL 2025 mega-auction, LSG made the headlines after they signed Rishabh Pant for a whopping amount of Rs. 27 crore, making him the most expensive player in the history of IPL.

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Zaheer Khan's Stats In IPL

In his IPL career, Zaheer Khan Mumbai Indians, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and the Delhi Capitals. He played 100 matches in the cash-rich tournament, picking 102 wickets at an economy rate of 7.58.

Zaheer Khan made his T20I debut in 2006 against South Africa. Following that, he has played 17 T20I matches for India, taking 17 wickets at an economy rate of 7.63.