The franchise released some of their big names in David Miller and Ravi Bishnoi.
The Lucknow Super Giants have experienced a roller-coaster ride in the Indian Premier League since their inception into the tournament. The team has managed to do quite well, but has not unearthed the formula to get to the title yet. Ahead of another important season, one of the most asked questions for the fans would be – who will LSG buy at the IPL 2026 Auction?
The franchise announced their retentions and releases on November 15, which included most of the expected names on the list. However, the management decided to retain speedster Mayank Yadav. His brief career has been marred by a lot of injuries so far. The LSG management seems to have shown trust in the youngster, and it will be heartening to see if Mayank can take the field for the next season.
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That being said, the franchise also acquired Mohammed Shami via a trade from the Sunrisers Hyderabad. The Rishabh Pant-led team has Avesh Khan in the ranks as well, which will make the team one of the most pace-heavy sides of the IPL. If all things go right, LSG could be in as a serious contender in the 19th edition of the coveted tournament. Some of the releases included David Miller, Ravi Bishnoi, Akash Deep, Shamar Joseph, and Shardul Thakur, who was traded to the Mumbai Indians in an all-cash deal.
That being said, here are a few players who can be the answer to the burning question – Who will LSG buy at the IPL 2026 auction?
The leg-spinner from Rajasthan can be a perfect replacement for someone like Ravi Bishnoi. The franchise released the latter in the lead-up to the IPL 2026 auction due to a dismal performance in the previous season. However, LSG target players would include a good wrist-spinner to increase their chances on their spin-assisting home track.
Rahul Chahar has been handy in terms of his grip off the surface on tracks that assist spin. After spending three years with the Mumbai Indians, the leg-spinner was acquired by the Punjab Kings (PBKS), where he managed to pick 32 wickets across three seasons. But the 26-year-old was heavily underutilised by the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in IPL 2025. Chahar played a solitary game, bowling not more than a single over. The LSG management could use him well, and considering their remaining purse, it could be an economical buy as well.
Wanindu Hasaranga can be another fantastic option for who will LSG buy. On one end, they have Digvesh Rathi as a starter. If they can add Hasaranga to the arsenal, it will help them strengthen the lower-middle order as well. The Sri Lankan all-rounder featured in the released list for the Rajasthan Royals ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. His performance in the previous season was below par, with nine wickets in 11 matches.
Considering his all-round ability, he will be in LSG IPL 2026 auction targets. One of Hasaranga’s strengths would be his googly. The 28-year-old has trapped many batters in front of the wickets with the deliveries that turn back into the right-handers. It becomes extremely difficult to read him off the hand, which tends to hurry the batter a lot more.
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Having played for the Kolkata Knight Riders for the last three seasons, the Afghanistan wicketkeeper-batter found himself in the released players list ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. But he can be a serious contender for who will LSG buy, in terms of his wicketkeeping and aggressive batting in the top order.
The top four batters for the franchise are fixed, with Aiden Markram and Mitchell Marsh opening the batting. Nicholas Pooran and skipper Rishabh Pant would be taking the next two spots. However, Gurbaz can be a good investment as a backup in LSG target players. The 23-year-old was bought by KKR for INR 2 crore, which makes a player like Gurbaz an absolute steal. The strike-rate for Rahmanullah Gurbaz in T20s is 145.62, quite impressive for the shortest format.
The Rishabh Pant-led franchise have a potent bowling attack, which would be spearheaded by Mohammed Shami. However, one thing they miss in the equation would be a foreign speedster. Anrich Nortje has been good with his pace in the recent past and would be a value addition to LSG IPL 2026 auction targets.
Though the South African speedster has been in the headlines for his frequent injuries, he can rattle the batters with pace. With a bowling attack that has a bit of everything, including pace, Nortje would be a great fit in LSG target players. Last season, he played two games for KKR and managed a solitary wicket, which led to his name in the release list. But he is turning the tide and regaining form in the CSA T20 Challenge with consistent wickets at an economical rate.
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