IPL 2025: Zaheer Khan joins LSG as mentor

NewsLSG are also keen on giving Zaheer a wider profile, involving scouting and player development

Zaheer Khan performed various roles while he was with Mumbai Indians  •  Annesha Ghosh/ESPNcricinfo

Zaheer Khan has joined Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) as their mentor, filling the vacancy left by Gautam Gambhir’s exit after IPL 2023. Gambhir had taken up the mentor role at Kolkata Knight Riders for IPL 2024 and has since become head coach of the India men’s team.

Zaheer will also take on bowling coach duties, after Morne Morkel left the franchise to join Gambhir’s coaching staff with the Indian team. During a media interaction after his unveiling, Zaheer did not specify that he would be bowling coach, but said with a smile: “If I am there in the set-up, does the team need another bowling coach?”

From 2018 to 2022, Zaheer was involved with the Mumbai Indians (MI) franchise, first as director of cricket and then head of global development. Prior to that, he was part of three IPL teams as a player – MI, Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Delhi Daredevils. In all, he featured in 100 games for the three teams across ten seasons, picking up 102 wickets at an economy of 7.58. He last played in the tournament in 2017, when he led Daredevils, before retiring from all forms of cricket.

As reported earlier by ESPNcricinfo, apart from the role of mentor, LSG are keen on giving Zaheer a wider profile that will mean involvement with the scouting and player-development programmes during the off season.

LSG’s coaching set-up is currently headed by Justin Langer, who will continue in the role after having replaced Andy Flower as head coach ahead of IPL 2024, with Lance Klusener and Adam Voges as his assistants. After securing playoff berths in their first two seasons, the KL Rahul-led side was pipped on net run rate for a spot in the top four in 2024.

Zaheer’s return to the IPL fold comes at a time when teams are preparing for a mega auction. The IPL is likely to announce the retention rules by early September.

This article was updated when LSG’s official announcement came through.