look news india
New Delhi, August 20 (HS). Zaheer Khan is in talks with Lucknow Super Giants for the role of mentor. If the ongoing talks are successful, he could replace two key figures in the northern Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise.
The Super Giants are without a mentor since Gautam Gambhir moved to Kolkata in 2023 and the new void has been created by the departure of Morne Morkel. Gambhir and Morkel incidentally have either already joined the Indian national team or are about to join.
According to a Cricbuzz report, Zaheer is being considered for Gambhir's role and he might also lend his expertise to the bowlers of Lucknow Super Giants. He will also be a key mediator for the players and the management of the franchise.
Zaheer was earlier touted as a potential bowling coach under Gambhir's new regime in Team India, particularly to mentor the young and emerging fast bowlers in and around the team – a role he is highly respected for. 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 materialise, as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) preferred Morkel over Gambhir's recommendation. But the former Indian fast bowler has extensive experience of coaching in the IPL, having previously worked with the Mumbai Indians.
At 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.
There are also talks of the Sanjiv Goenka-owned franchise adding another head coach, the details of which are still not completely clear. The 45-year-old Zaheer has played 92 Tests, 200 ODIs and 17 T20Is for India, as well as 100 IPL matches, representing Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals), Royal Challengers Bangalore (now Royal Challengers Bangalore) and Mumbai Indians. He played his last IPL match in 2017.
IPL's most expensive team LSG, bought for over a billion dollars (Rs 7090 crores as per the exchange rate at the time) in 2022, reached the top-four stage in its first two seasons but missed out on a playoff spot last year due to a poor net run rate (NRR).