LSG's 10 crore Mohammed Shami trade blunder could come back to haunt them in IPL 2026

Shami signed with LSG [Source: AFP Photo]

It is official, Mohammed Shami, the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) pacer, has been traded to the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) before the IPL 2026 mini auction. The fast bowler was bought by the Orange Army last season, but he had an underwhelming campaign as the franchise has traded him to LSG for the next season.

SRH paid a whopping 10 crores to acquire Shami for the IPL 2025 season, but the pacer failed to deliver the goods as SRH bowling lacked the cutting-edge, and they failed to qualify for the playoffs.

Perhaps LSG has spent the money on the wrong bowler, and bringing in Shami won’t solve their ever-concerning bowling woes. Here are 3 major reasons why the Lucknow-based franchise has made a blunder by purchasing Shami.

1) Not so promising IPL 2025 numbers

Last season, Shami came back from injury and looked a pale shadow of his former self as the bowler looked lethargic and was also dropped for a few games midway through the campaign.

The SRH side showed trust in him by purchasing the pacer for INR 10 crore, but he failed to repay them and the stats tell the entire story.

(Shami in IPL 2025)

• Just six wickets in nine matches, with an economy of 11.23, Shami had a horrendous IPL 2025 campaign. He lacked the cutting-edge to take wickets and was also taken to the cleaners by the opposition batters.
• He was coming back from injury, but SRH had high hopes for him to take wickets inside the power play, and the bowler failed to meet the objective. Hence, buying a player who failed last season for a hefty amount doesn’t look like a smart move.

2) Why pay 10 crore for a 35-year-old?

So apparently, LSG has paid 10 crores, his IPL 2025 price to acquire him for the upcoming season. However, the question arises, why so much money for a 35-year-old pacer?.

LSG’s biggest concern last season was not having a quality Indian pacer in its ranks. The team invested heavily in their batting department, and hardly had any quality pacer as the team suffered in numerous matches.

If LSG do want to spend 10 crore, they should have done it on a younger pacer with a higher ceiling. However, they went after a pacer who is already injury-prone and won’t offer much in terms of T20 bowling.

3) LSG buys injury-prone pacer

• For some reason, LSG has a history of purchasing injury-prone bowlers, and Shami is the latest addition to their arsenal. Post the 2023 World Cup, Shami suffered an Achilles tendon injury, and since then, the pacer has not been the same.
• The pace has dropped, the cutting-edge is gone, and despite the skillset still remaining intact, Shami is not the same bowler that he was a couple of years ago.
• The team already has Mayank Yadav, Avesh Khan, and Akash Deep as the injury-prone bowlers, and with Shami joining the club, LSG has not learned from their past mistakes. Instead of spending 10 crores on him, the team should have gone for a pacer who was fit and could have contributed in almost every game.

Final verdict

Shami is arguably one of the best bowlers produced in India, and there is no doubt on his skillset, but LSG spending such a hefty amount to buy an injury-prone pacer doesn’t make sense. His numbers were dismal last season, and in the same price range, the franchise could have gone for a younger pacer.

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