Mayank Yadav And? Star Players Whom LSG Could Release Before Next Season

Jatin

LSG had a dismal IPL 2025 [Source: AP]LSG had a dismal IPL 2025 [Source: AP]

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) had a season to forget in IPL 2025. A team that looked stacked on paper just couldn’t get going when it mattered.

Six wins, eight losses and a seventh-place finish isn’t what fans or the management signed up for. They entered the tournament with a bang after shelling out INR 27 crore for their captain Rishabh Pant and assembling a power-packed squad, but ended it with a whimper.

Injuries to key bowlers, misfiring big names and lack of rhythm in the middle overs meant LSG never found their mojo. And now, as teams start thinking about retention and releases before the next mega auction, some big calls will be on the horizon.

Here are 3 big players who might be shown the door by LSG ahead of IPL 2026.

3. Mayank Yadav

In IPL 2024, Mayank Yadav was the toast of the town. Blazing yorkers, serious pace, and the ability to knock over top-order batters made him an overnight star. But fast forward to 2025, and it has been a completely different story.

Matches
Wickets
Average
Economy
2250.0012.50

Table - Mayank Yadav IPL 2025 Stats

LSG retained him for a massive INR 11 crore, hoping he would lead the pace attack. Instead, all they got was two matches, two wickets, an average of 50.00 and a scary economy rate of 12.50. Most of the season saw him nursing a back injury and sitting on the sidelines.

The lad clearly has talent but injury after injury has turned him into a risky investment. With that kind of price tag, LSG might just cut their losses, release him, and go hunting for a fitter, more reliable pacer.

2. David Miller

David Miller was expected to be the finisher LSG never had, the calm head in a crunch chase, the blaster in the final overs. But things didn’t quite go to plan. Bought for INR 7.5 crore, Miller just couldn’t get into gear.

Matches
Runs
Average
Strike-Rate
Highest Score
1115330.60127.5027*

Table - David Miller IPL 2025 Stats

In 11 innings, he managed only 153 runs at a strike rate of 127.50. That’s not the Miller we have seen win games single-handedly in the past. He looked scratchy, out of rhythm, and a shadow of the player he was during his Gujarat Titans days.

At 35, with form dipping and younger talents rising, LSG might choose to go younger and hungrier in the middle order, especially with Pooran and Pant already locked in. Freeing up that purse could open doors to a more consistent finisher.

1. Ravi Bishnoi

This one is going to sting, but it’s hard to ignore the numbers. Ravi Bishnoi was retained for a hefty INR 11 crore as LSG’s go-to spinner. But instead of bamboozling batters, he became cannon fodder.

Matches
Wickets
Average
Economy
11944.5510.83

Table - Ravi Bishnoi IPL 2025 Stats

In 11 matches, Bishnoi picked up just 9 wickets, averaging a whopping 44.55 with an economy rate of 10.83. For your main middle-overs enforcer, that is a massive letdown, especially when your bowling unit is already stretched due to injuries.

He looked low on confidence, missed his lines and failed to control the flow of runs. And at this stage, LSG may feel they are not getting value for money. Releasing Bishnoi could help them target an in-form spinner, possibly even overseas, to boss the middle overs next season.

Conclusion

Letting go of big names won’t be easy, but sometimes, you have got to clear the deck to build something better. And if Lucknow are serious about turning things around, they will need a squad that’s fitter, faster and firing on all cylinders come 2026.