Zaheer Khan set to replace Gautam Gambhir

According to a media source, the Indian Premier League (IPL) team Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) has contacted former India cricketer Zaheer Khan about taking on a dual position in the coaching staff.

LSG, who qualified for the playoffs twice in their three IPL seasons, have been without a head coach since Gautam Gambhir departed the team in 2024 to take a similar position with his former side, the Kolkata Knight Riders, before taking a position as head coach with the Indian men’s cricket team. After the 2024 season, the franchise also lost bowling coach Morne Morkel, who will now be joining Gamhhir’s support staff on the Indian squad in the same capacity. Morkel was a fast bowler for South Africa.

Read More: Sarfaraz Khan Remains Grounded Ahead of India vs Bangladesh Tests

On the event that LSG and Zaheer can reach an agreement, the former India bowler may serve as both a mentor and a bowling coach during the upcoming IPL season, per a report published on Cricbuzz. “He will also be a key interlocutor, rather a go-between, for players and the management of the franchise,” the article continued. As a result, Zaheer may collaborate on the coaching staff with Jonty Rhodes, Adam Voges, Lance Klusener, and head coach Justin Langer.

Zaheer was first in line to become the Indian cricket team’s bowling coach. However, after working with Morkel at LSG in 2022 and 2023, Gambhir asked BCCI to include Morkel in the post. The 2011 World Cup champion will be coaching in the league for the second time; he previously worked with the Mumbai Indians. The player represented India in 92 Tests, 200 ODIs, 17 T20Is, and 100 IPL games.