Zaheer Khan Joins Lucknow Super Giants As Mentor, Pledges All-Round Support

Zaheer Khan has been appointed as the mentor for Lucknow Super Giants, replacing Gautam Gambhir. Khan vows to support the team in every capacity, highlighting the potential of LSG despite its short journey in the IPL. He aims to focus on enhancing the franchise's decision-making.

Lucknow Super Giants' newly appointed mentor Zaheer Khan stated on Wednesday that his role encompasses serving the team in every possible capacity. The franchise revealed the former India seamer as their mentor for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season.

Zaheer takes over from Gautam Gambhir, who departed from the role after IPL 2023 to mentor Kolkata Knight Riders, leading them to the IPL 2024 title. At the press conference, Zaheer praised LSG's capabilities, noting the franchise's rapid progress in just three years, comparable to teams with 17-18 years of experience. He emphasized the importance of enhancing decision-making processes within the team.

'It is a team game, so I will be serving the team in every capacity possible, and yes, it includes bowling. If I am there in the set-up, does the team need another bowling coach? When you see LSG, their journey is only three years but they are as comparable to the teams who have played the IPL for 17-18 years. The building blocks are in place and we need to take them forward. Decision-making will be something we'll work on, since it is something that can differentiate teams,' Zaheer told ESPNcricinfo. Zaheer, who played for Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore, and Delhi Daredevils, finished his IPL career with 102 wickets in 100 matches.

Post-retirement, Zaheer helped Mumbai Indians as director of cricket and later as head of global development from 2018 to 2022. Internationally, he is recognized as one of the finest left-arm pacers, with 311 Test wickets and 610 scalps in 309 international matches for India. (ANI)