Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) have pulled off one of the boldest deals of the window ahead of the IPL 2026 auction in Abu Dhabi next month. In a surprise development, Lucknow Supergiants traded star pacer Mohammed Shami to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on November 14.
Mohammed Shami is now all set to join Rishabh Pant at LSG for the next season. The Indian bowler, known for his lethal seam movement, sharp accuracy and unmatched ability to strike with the new ball, brings world-class firepower to LSG.
Mohammed Shami joins LSG ahead of IPL 2026
Shami will play under the captaincy of Rishabh Pant in IPL 2026. LSG confirmed the news with a cryptic post, where they did not mention Shami, but shared a picture from the India-England match, where the veteran Indian bowler clean bowled Ben Stokes.
Also read: During the first test, Rishabh Pant mercilessly made fun of South African batsmen, exposed a major flaw in their technique.
While sharing Stokes’ picture, the franchise wrote in the caption, “Just thinking about this unique moment for no reason.”
Just thinking about this lonely moment for no reason pic.twitter.com/qxn8XNl2Ei
– Lucknow Super Giants (@LucknowIPL) 14 November 2025
Shami Lucknow
– Lucknow Super Giants have traded Shami to Sunrisers Hyderabad for IPL 2026. pic.twitter.com/nsGEGPql2S
– Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) 14 November 2025
However, LSG has not made any official announcement regarding trading Shami to SRH nor revealed what type of deal they have finalized.
LSG has prepared to pay full Rs 10 crore to take Mohammed Shami.
But ESPN Cricinfo claimed that the Lucknow franchise is ready to pay the entire Rs 10 crore to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) – the same amount Shami was originally bought for in the blockbuster deal in the IPL 2025 mega auction.
The IPL has set a deadline of 3pm on November 15 for all teams to submit their retained and released players ahead of the auction. SRH had invested heavily in Shami ahead of IPL 2025 after his impressive performances in the powerplay with the Titans between 2022 and 2024.
The experienced Indian bowler scalped 28 wickets in the powerplay in the 2022 and 2023 seasons. However, Shami missed the entire 2024 season and then his comeback in IPL 2025 did not go as planned. Shami struggled to find his rhythm, taking only five wickets in nine innings and conceding runs at an economy rate of 10.3 in the powerplay for SRH.
Now, Shami is set to reunite with former India bowling coach Bharat Arun at LSG. Arun, who now leads LSG’s talent development programme, was a key figure in building India’s premier fast-bowling group over the past decade, which included Shami as well as Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Siraj.
Earlier, former great South African fast bowler Dale Steyn had revealed that when he was the bowling coach of Sunrisers Hyderabad, he once ‘begged’ Shami to be included in the squad, but his request was ignored. However, Steyn urged SRH not to part ways with the Indian bowler ahead of next season.
“When I was the bowling coach of SRH, I said, ‘Please, can we somehow get Mohammed Shami?'” Steyn said on JioStar. “And the moment I was no longer the coach, they got him. I would be disappointed if they lost him. Fitness and form play an important role in IPL, especially in the case of bowlers. You want the bowlers to be fit, and you want them to perform well. If Shami is fit and strong then he will make any team. But if he’s struggling… teams will say other players are too. You were good a year and a half ago, but not now. That could be a release.”
