Former Indian pace legend Zaheer Khan has faced up to the new challenge in the Indian Premier League, signing on with the Lucknow Super Giants as their new mentor. It sets Zaheer joining the LSG setup after it remodelled its coaching staff with his arrival, following Gautam Gambhir’s tenure as mentor which ended after IPL 2023.
Zaheer will not only be LSG’s new mentor but also bowling coach
Zaheer’s role with LSG will be more than that of a mentor. With Morne Morkel leaving, Zaheer is expected to double up as the bowling coach, though an official confirmation is awaited. The possible dual role for Zaheer at LSG underlines the franchise’s desire to utilize his rich experience both as a player and a coach.
The former is no stranger to the pressures that come with the demands of the IPL. Between 2018 and 2022, Zaheer had a pivotal role at Mumbai Indians, where he started off as director of cricket before taking on the role of head of global development. On-field too, he has some serious standing, having played 100 IPL matches for teams such as MI, Royal Challengers Bangalore, and Delhi Daredevils, taking 102 wickets in the tournament.
With LSG, his role will be much more than that of a mentor. He is expected to be hands-on with the scouting and player development, more so during the off-season. This is part of LSG’s broader strategy to utilize his expertise in shaping the team’s future, especially with the impending mega auction wherein teams will be looking to fine-tune their squads.
The LSG coaching staff has been seen to make major changes with Justin Langer coming in as head coach ahead of the 2024 season. He will be assisted by a pretty solid team, which comprises Lance Klusener and Adam Voges. Led by KL Rahul, LSG had made it to the playoffs in the first two seasons but missed out narrowly in 2024 owing to net run rate. The addition of Zaheer Khan, therefore, would bring finer tuning into the strategies and return with a bang in the next season.
Meanwhile, left-hand opening batsman Gautam Gambhir parted his ways with LSG and joined KKR for IPL 2024 as a mentor and became the Head Coach of the India men’s cricket team.
Zaheer Khan’s move to LSG heralds much importance, not only in the immediacy of the performance of the team but also in its long-term growth. His experience will be invaluable in helping LSG navigate through the coming mega auction and positioning the franchise for further success in the IPL.
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