"Are you worth ₹11 crore?" - Aakash Chopra on LSG's potential releases ahead of IPL 2026 auction

Former India player Aakash Chopra has opined that the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) should release Mayank Yadav ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. He questioned whether Mayank is worth ₹11 crore, considering the speedster has missed the majority of the games in the last two seasons due to injuries.

LSG finished seventh among 10 teams in IPL 2025. Mayank was among the franchise's big-ticket retentions ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, but played only two games in this year's edition of the prestigious league.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, 'Aakash Chopra,' the former India opener opined that LSG should retain Rishabh Pant but let Mayank go ahead of the IPL 2026 auction.

"Should Rishabh Pant be released? I would say no. You don't spend ₹27 crore just for one season. He is a dynamite. Keep him with you and retain him as captain. If you feel you will repurchase Rishabh Pant, a team isn't created by saving a few crores," Chopra said. (5:20). "Should Mayank Yadav be released or retained? He is for ₹11 crore. When he plays, he straightaway becomes the Player of the Match, but it's also the truth that he has played only four matches in the last two years. If you are unable to play an entire season, are you worth ₹11 crore? Let Mayank Yadav go and buy him back if you wish," he added.

Rishabh Pant aggregated 269 runs, including an unbeaten 118-run knock in LSG's final league game, at an underwhelming average of 24.45 in 13 innings in IPL 2025. Mayank Yadav picked up two wickets at an economy rate of 12.50 in the two games he played.

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"Retain Ravi Bishnoi" - Aakash Chopra on LSG's other potential releases ahead of IPL 2026 auction

Ravi Bishnoi picked up nine wickets at an economy rate of 10.83 in 11 innings in IPL 2025. [P/C: Getty]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra opined that the Lucknow Super Giants should retain Ravi Bishnoi ahead of the IPL 2026 auction.

"The second question will be about Ravi Bishnoi - ₹11 crore. I am thinking that it's a mini auction, Ravi Bishnoi is a proven T20 match-winner, was very high in the T20 rankings for a long time, his last year was not good, but if he goes into the auction, will he get ₹11 crore? It's a mini auction and the prices are inflated. So Retain Ravi Bishnoi," he said. (7:00)

The cricketer-turned-commentator urged LSG to retain Avesh Khan but release Akash Deep ahead of the auction.

"Avesh Khan - ₹9.75 crore, retain him. He is expensive, but retain him. You need Indian fast bowlers. Akash Deep - ₹8 crore, I would say release him because he is not doing well in white-ball cricket, unless something has changed in his bowling style," Chopra reasoned.

While acknowledging that Mohsin Khan also has fitness issues, Aakash Chopra reckoned that LSG should retain the left-arm seamer. While observing that he initially wanted David Miller to be released, the analyst urged the franchise to retain the South African middle-order batter.

Edited by Kartik Iyer