The Lucknow Super Giants have begun early preparations for the IPL 2026 season by sending a group of domestic fast bowlers to South Africa for a focused training stint during the upcoming SA20.

The 2025–26 edition of the SA20 is scheduled to begin on December 26 and conclude on January 25, offering LSG a valuable opportunity to prepare their pace unit in overseas conditions. As per reports, Avesh Khan, Mohsin Khan, and young left-arm pacer Naman Tiwari are set to travel to Durban next week. One or two additional players may also join the group.

The bowlers will train with Durban Super Giants, LSG’s sister franchise, allowing seamless coordination between the two setups. Permission for the training stint has already been granted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India, as none of the players are currently involved in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

South Africa stint key to recovery and long-term pace planning

For Avesh and Mohsin, the South Africa trip is especially significant. Both pacers are recovering from knee surgeries they underwent in July and have been out of competitive cricket for several months. Avesh last played for LSG earlier this year, while Mohsin’s most recent appearance came in December 2024. The SA20 environment will help them gradually regain match rhythm and fitness ahead of IPL 2026.

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Naman Tiwari, meanwhile, is seen as a long-term prospect. The 20-year-old left-armer, who can consistently clock speeds above 140 kmph, was bought by LSG for ₹1 crore at the IPL 2026 auction despite interest from Rajasthan Royals. Though yet to make his domestic debut, the stint in South Africa is expected to accelerate his development.

The pacers will work under the supervision of Lance Klusener, Tom Moody, Bharat Arun, and Carl Crowe, all part of the LSG support structure. With fitness, form, and depth in focus, this overseas training block marks an important step in LSG’s build-up to IPL 2026.

LSG full squad for IPL 2026

Rishabh Pant (captain & wicketkeeper), Nicholas Pooran (wicketkeeper), Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, Josh Inglis, Matthew Breetzke, Wanindu Hasaranga, Anrich Nortje, Abdul Samad, Himmat Singh, Ayush Badoni, Arshin Kulkarni, Shahbaz Ahamad, Digvesh Rathi, Avesh Khan, Mohsin Khan, Mayank Yadav, Akash Singh, Prince Yadav, M Siddharth, Mukul Choudhary, Naman Tiwari, Akshat Raghuwanshi, Mohammad Shami (traded in), Arjun Tendulkar (traded in).