3 players LSG can sign on Tom Moody's advice ahead of IPL 2026 Auction ft. Jordan Cox

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) made a potentially telling move by appointing former Australian all-rounder Tom Moody as their global director of cricket. Moody will replace former Indian pacer Zaheer Khan in the role after the latter's stint ended in one year.

LSG endured a dismal IPL 2025 season, winning only six out of their 14 games and finishing seventh in the standings. It was their second straight season of missing the playoffs after advancing to the final fours in their first two IPL seasons in 2022 and 2023.

Moody brings an incredible coaching experience of over two decades, having transformed the fortunes of several teams across international and domestic levels. With the IPL 2026 auction just over a month away, the newly appointed director could play a vital role in the franchise acquiring new talents that fit their roster.

On that note, let us look at three players LSG could sign on Tom Moody's advice ahead of the IPL 2026 auction.

#1 Jordan Cox

Jordan Cox is one of the most exciting young T20 batters in world cricket [Credit: Getty]

England's exciting wicketkeeper batter Jordan Cox has been knocking on the IPL door with sparkling T20 performances. Despite registering for the 2025 auction, the 25-year-old was unsold.

While LSG are not short on overseas batting talent, Cox's short-format form and versatility are hard to ignore. Moody recently oversaw the Oval Invincibles pull off their third consecutive Hundred title as head coach.

Cox has been the star of the show with the bat on all three occasions, with the most recent being his best. The youngster scored 367 runs at an average of over 61 and a strike rate of 173.93 in nine games.

Cox, who made his England debut in the white-ball formats last year, also boasts nine white-ball matches for the national side. Even in his young career, the destructive right-hander has batted at various positions for his domestic side and England, evidence of his versatility.

With the ability to also don the wicketkeeping gloves, Cox's presence could be just what the doctor ordered for LSG to mix and match their playing XI. The right-hander boasts a massive T20 experience of 158 outings with over 3,500 runs, including 18 half-centuries and a century.

#2 Saqib Mahmood

Saqib Mahmood impressed with his wily skillset in England's tour of India earlier in the year [Credit: Getty]

England pacer Saqib Mahmood is slowly but surely becoming one of the most reliable white-ball bowlers in world cricket. Like Cox, Mahmood was part of the title-winning Oval Invincibles unit, helmed by Tom Moody, in 2024 and 2025.

The 28-year-old picked up a combined 14 wickets in 11 games across the two seasons at an average of under 19. Furthermore, Mahmood is enjoying his best year for England in 2025 with 14 wickets in nine matches across the two white-ball formats.

The right-arm seamer picked up three wickets in his lone T20I in England's tour of India earlier in the year. He also added three wickets in as many games in the ODI series that followed on batting-friendly conditions.

Meanwhile, fact-bowling was LSG's biggest Achilles heel in IPL 2025, with a lack of high-caliber overseas options glaringly obvious. Mahmood, being an all-phase seam-bowling option, should enjoy working with Moody and help LSG overcome undoubtedly their biggest hole from a season ago.

#3 David Payne

Left-arm pacer David Payne is another cricketer who blossomed under Tom Moody in the most recent ILT20 2024/25 season. The veteran seamer played a vital role in the side finishing runners-up, picking up 10 wickets in eight games at an average of 24.10 and an economy of 7.53.

Payne also impressed in the 2025 Hundred season, bagging 10 scalps at an average of under 23 for the Welsh Fire. Apart from their overall mediocre fast-bowling battery, LSG also face a dearth of left-arm options in their roster apart from Akash Singh.

Payne's vast T20 experience with over 200 games and his impressive recent form could play a pivotal role in LSG's resurgence in IPL 2025. The veteran pacer was part of the IPL 2025 auction but went unsold.

However, with Moody's presence in the franchise, Payne could finally land his first IPL contract after years of toil.

Edited by Venkatesh Ravichandran