Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) strongest playing 11 for IPL 2026 after mini auction

When Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) picked Rishabh Pant as the most expensive player in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL), they perhaps hoped for instant success. And that cost them massively. Lucknow ended at the seventh position in the points table of the IPL 2025 with the help of six victories at a net run rate of -0.376.

Rishabh Pant was pressurized with the leadership duties, which took its toll on his batting as the left-handed batter ended with only 269 runs in 13 innings at an average of 24.45 and a strike rate of 133.16 with the help of one half-century and one century at the best score of unbeaten 118 runs. Lucknow will hope to see their captain coming with a fresh mindset.

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For them, the biggest contribution in the batting department came from the opening batter, Mitchell Marsh, who smashed 627 runs in 13 innings at an average of 48.23 and a strike rate of 163.70 with the help of six half-centuries and one century at the best score of 117. He will need to repeat such heroics in 2026.

Lucknow Super Giants’ strongest playing 11 for IPL 2026 after mini auction

Lucknow couldn’t get a finish in the auction, having released David Miller from the squad. Late in the auction, they went after Josh Inglis and signed him for INR 8.6 crore, which is too costly for a place, who will remain available only for four games of the entire season due to his wedding.

LSG full squad ahead of IPL 2026

Abdul Samad, Ayush Badoni, Matthew Breetzke, Himmat Singh, Aiden Markram, Akshat Raghuvanshi, Rishabh Pant, Nicholas Pooran, Josh Inglis, Mukul Choudhary, Arshin Kulkarni, Wanindu Hasaranga, Mitchell Marsh, Shahbaz Ahmed, Digvesh Rathi, M Siddharth, Akash Singh, Avesh Khan, Mohammed Shami, Mohsin Khan, Anrich Nortje, Prince Yadav, Arjun Tendulkar, Mayank Yadav, Naman Tiwari

There is no doubt that Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram will open the batting for the Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2026. Just like Marsh, Markram was equally in form during the previous IPL. The right-handed battered bat matched 445 runs in 30 innings at an average of 34.23 and a strike rate of 148.82 with the help of five fifties at the best score of 66.

This will be followed by Nicholas Pooran at number three. The Southpaw cracked 524 runs in 14 innings of IPL 2025 at an average of 43.66 and a strike rate of 196.25 with the help of five half-centuries at the best score of unbeaten 87 runs. That will be massive firepower for the side if Pant and their number 5 batter, Ayush Badoni, come into form.

Moreover, Lucknow will also have the services of Wanindu Hasaranga in IPL 2026. The Sri Lankan spin allrounder can bowl four overs at any phase of the innings and provide them with some vital batting at number seven. In the pace bowling department, Lucknow will have the experience of Muhammad Shami.

Last year, the franchise didn’t Mayank for most of the tournament. But if he remains fully fit for 2026, then the right-arm pacer can take care of the middle overs of the innings. Digvesh Rathi and Shahbaz Ahmed will go through the spin department of the side.

The biggest issue for this franchise will be the injury-prone bowlers. Their new signing, Anrich Nortje, is another such member of the list who hasn’t played a lot of games in the last couple of seasons.

LSG's strongest playing 11 for IPL 2026 after mini auction

Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant (c & wk.), Ayush Badoni, Abdul Samad, Wanindu Hasaranga, Shahbaz Ahmed, Avesh Khan, Mohammad Shami, Mayank Yadav.

Impact player: Digvesh Rathi.