Lucknow Super Giants appoint Zaheer Khan as mentor

Former Indian pace spearhead Zaheer Khan will take up a new role as the mentor of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the Indian Premier League.

The announcement was made by the RPSG Group, the owners of the franchise, in Kolkata on Wednesday.

The group also took to social media to confirm Zaheer’s appointment. “All your anticipation ends here! The King of reverse swing, Indian legend #ZaheerKhan takes charge as the mentor of @LucknowIPL,” RPSG Group tweeted.

Zaheer replaces Gautam Gambhir, who left the franchise in 2023 to move to Kolkata Knight Riders and subsequently move as the head coach of the Indian cricket team. Gambhir led KKR to their third IPL title in 2024.

LSG reached the playoffs twice in three editions of the IPL they have taken part in. They missed out on a playoff spot in the 2024 edition.

At Lucknow Super Giants, Zaheer will work closely with head coach Justin Langer and assistant coaches Lance Klusener and Adam Voges.

The side’s bowling coach Morne Morkel has left the franchise and has aligned with the Indian cricket team as their bowling coach, alongside Gambhir.

Zaheer has a wealth of experience in the IPL. He played 100 IPL matches for Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Delhi Capitals combined and has picked up 102 wickets with an economy rate of just over seven runs an over, a gold standard in T20, considering how batter friendly the format is.

The 45-year-old has also worked as a director of cricket and head of global development for Mumbai Indians from 2018 to 2022.

According to sources, the former Indian pacer is also expected to take a leadership role in scouting and in player development programmes for the franchise.