Zaheer Khan, LSG in talks for mentor role

Zaheer Khan is in negotiations with Lucknow Super Giants for the mentor role. If the ongoing talks come to fruition, he may replace two prominent figures in the northern Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise. The Super Giants have been without a mentor since Gautam Gambhir left for Kolkata in 2023, and a new vacancy has opened with Morne Morkel's departure. Both Gambhir and Morkel, the bowling coach of the side for three seasons, incidentally, have either already joined or are on the verge of joining the Indian national team. Sources within the IPL suggest that Zaheer is being considered for the role that Gambhir held and could also provide his expertise to the Lucknow Super Giants' bowlers. He will also be a key interlocutor, rather a go-between, for players and the management of the franchise, the owner of which is known to be very passionate about the game. Zaheer was previously viewed as a potential bowling coach under Gambhir's new setup in Team India, specifically to mentor the young and upcoming pacers in and around the team - a role for which he is highly regarded. Even during his playing days, Zaheer was known for guiding and mentoring the young fast bowlers in the Indian team. Zaheer Khan's potential role with the Indian team did not materialize, as Morkel was preferred by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), unmistakably on the recommendation of Gambhir. But the former India pacer has extensive coaching experience in the IPL, having previously worked with Mumbai Indians. In the Lucknow Super Giants setup, Zaheer will collaborate with head coach Justin Langer and a strong team of coaches, including Adam Voges, Lance Klusener, and Jonty Rhodes, among others. There is also talk of another prominent coach joining the Sanjiv Goenka-owned franchise, the details of which are still not fully clear. Zaheer, 45, played 92 Tests, 200 ODIs and 17 T20Is for India along with 100 IPL games, which saw him represent Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals), Royal Challengers Bangalore (now Royal Challengers Bengaluru) and Mumbai Indians. He played his last IPL game in 2017. LSG, the costliest team in the IPL that was bought in 2022 for over a billion dollars (Rs 7090 crore as exchange rate of that time), reached the top-four stage in its first two seasons before missing out on a playoff spot last year due to an inferior Net Run Rate (NRR). Meanwhile, there is a growing perception that the BCCI will announce the retention rules by the end of this month. As previously reported by Cricbuzz, teams are expected to be allowed around six retentions, including the RTM option. Although some franchises had called for the discontinuation of the Big Auction, the BCCI is not planning to eliminate it, for the time being at least.