Tata Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 is now very close, as the teams prepare for the final stages before the tournament begins on Saturday, March 28. In the first game of the Rich Cash League, defending champions Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will face Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) is one of the newest teams in the IPL. LSGs were introduced in 2022, and only twice in their history. These performances occurred consecutively in his first two seasons, 2022 and 2023. Since then, they have failed to qualify into the top 4 of the tournament.
LSG has the highest paid player in IPL history; They bought Rishabh Pant ahead of IPL 2025 for a huge price of Rs 27 crore. However, despite a good batting lineup, they could not qualify for the knockout stage and finished 7th in the league table with only 12 points.
This season their bowling does not have the strength to go to the next round. In this article, we explore the players who are the biggest burden for LSG in IPL 2026.
3 players who are the biggest burden for LSG in IPL 2026
Mohammed Shami
Mohammed Shami has been one of the best bowlers in world cricket. However, the fast bowler has not been as effective in T20 as he is in ODI and Test matches. He has also been out of the Indian national cricket team for some time. Shami bowled well in Ranji Trophy; His form in T20 is a matter of concern.
Shami has been traded to Sunrisers Hyderabad for the IPL 2026 season. The deal was to be an all-cash trade valued at Rs 10 crore. Mohammed Shami’s injury will also be a matter of concern for the LSG team, as he has been struggling with injuries in recent times. Shami is the only experienced Indian fast bowler in the franchise, he will have a big responsibility.
nicholas puran
Nicholas Pooran has retired from international cricket and plays only franchise cricket around the world. The West Indies batsman was excellent last season and single-handedly won games for the franchise. He scored 524 runs in 14 matches. He maintained a remarkable strike rate of 196.25 and an average of 43.67.
Now, with him out of international games, Puran’s flow of last year may also have disappeared. It is possible that while playing in different leagues, all his energy has been drained and he will not be able to perform like last year. If Puran falters, it will be a huge blow to the franchise.
Rishabh Pant
Rishabh Pant has been practicing since recovering from injury. The southpaw was a flop last season because of financial pressure on his back. He failed to perform well for the team as a captain and also as a batsman.
Although Pant scored a century in the last match of the IPL against RCB, he has not played much T20 cricket as he is not a part of India’s T20 setup or even a regular starter in the ODI setup. There will be pressure of Rs 27 crore on Rishabh Pant and his form is going to be a matter of concern for LSG this season too.
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