The uncapped pair of Ayush Badoni and Mohsin Khan are also set to be retained by the franchise.
Nicholas Pooran, Mayank Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, along with the uncapped duo of Mohsin Khan and Ayush Badoni, are poised to be retained by the Lucknow Super Giants for the IPL 2025 season.
KL Rahul, who has captained the team since its establishment in 2022, is unlikely to be retained unless there is a significant change in circumstances from either side. Consequently, LSG will possess one right-to-match (RTM) card during the auction.
The specific financial terms for the five players have not been disclosed; however, according to the retention guidelines established by the IPL, an amount of INR 51 crore will be deducted from LSG’s budget. Should the total compensation for the five players exceed INR 51 crore, the greater amount will be subtracted from the INR 120 crore budget allocated to each franchise for assembling their squads for IPL 2025.
It is anticipated that Pooran will lead in retention, followed by Mayank and Bishnoi. In 2024, Pooran closely trailed Rahul in the run-scoring charts and served as the interim captain and wicketkeeper during the initial phase of the season while Rahul was sidelined due to a minor injury.
Regarded as one of the premier power-hitters in cricket, Pooran, aged 29, was acquired by LSG prior to the 2023 season for INR 16 crore (approximately USD 1.927 million). His market value has significantly increased since his debut IPL season in 2017, when he was signed by the Mumbai Indians for INR 30 lakhs. Two years later, the Punjab Kings secured his services for INR 4.2 crore (around $575,000). During the 2022 mega auction, Sunrisers Hyderabad invested INR 10.75 crore (approximately $1.433 million at that time) in him, although he was released after just one season.
Mayank earned two Player-of-the-Match accolades in his first two IPL appearances, delivering balls at speeds exceeding 150 kph in 2024. However, a side strain limited his participation to only four matches, prompting national selectors to quickly include him among the fast bowlers awarded contracts. Acquired by LSG for INR 20 lakhs in the 2024 auction, Mayank has played a total of seven matches, all in T20 format: four in the IPL and subsequently making his international debut in a T20 series against Bangladesh. He is currently training at the BCCI’s newly established Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.
Bishnoi was one of three players selected by LSG prior to the mega auction before IPL 2022 for INR 4 crore, at that time being an uncapped player. In 2022, during LSG’s playoff run, Bishnoi took 13 wickets at an average of 8.44. The following year, now an international player, he ranked 13th among the leading wicket-takers, claiming 16 wickets at an average of 7.74, contributing to LSG’s playoff qualification once more. However, in the last season, he managed only 10 wickets in 14 matches at an average of 8.77.
Badoni and Mohsin, both uncapped players acquired for INR 20 lakhs each during the 2022 auction, have played a crucial role in the success of LSG. Badoni, an aggressive middle-order batsman, had his standout season in 2023, accumulating 238 runs at a strike rate of 138 over 12 innings. He also recently participated in the Emerging Series for India A.
Mohsin, a 6’3″ left-arm fast bowler hailing from Uttar Pradesh, made an immediate impact in his debut IPL season in 2022. He secured 14 wickets with an impressive economy rate below 6 in just nine matches, positioning himself as a strong contender for the T20 World Cup later that year. Unfortunately, he was sidelined due to a severe injury that nearly cost him his arm. Nevertheless, Mohsin made a successful return in the latter half of the 2023 season, concluding 2024 with 10 wickets across 10 matches.
