"Rishabh Pant was really struggling with his fast bowling" - Former India player hails LSG's strategy ahead of IPL 2026 Auction

Former India cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin praised the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for acquiring Mohammad Shami ahead of the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) auction to bolster their faltering fast bowling unit. The franchise also made bold decisions to retain Mayank Yadav, Avesh Khan, and Mohsin Khan to maintain an Indian pace batter, while letting Akash Deep go.

LSG had to battle an injury crisis in IPL 2025, and had to rope in Shardul Thakur as a late replacement while also entrusting the inexperienced Prince Yadav. While the franchise had a gun-battling line-up, they could not make the most of it as the bowlers could not back it up.

Rishabh Pant had limited resources to use as the franchise finished seventh in the points table, marking the second straight season that they failed to make it to the playoffs.

R Ashwin feels that LSG have learnt from their mistakes from the last season, and backs the Indian seamers to thrive next season.

"Mohammad Shami is a serious gain for LSG. Rishabh Pant was really struggling with his fast bowling last season. Now there are Shami, Avesh, and Mayank. Just like RR have corrected their course, LSG have also done their course correction," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.

Ashwin also praised MI for conducting their business before the IPL 2026 Auction. The five-time winners did not release any major names, sticking with the same core that made it to Qualifier 2 last season.

"MI already have everything, they have secured it. Last IPL, Bumrah did not play the whole season, they still ended 3rd. MI are very close, and they know that they are very close. There are not many big players in the auction, maybe Green and Russell, but MI know that they cannot go after these players because CSK and KKR are coming in with a lot of money," Ashwin said.

MI roped in three players during the trade window in the form of Shardul Thakur, Sherfane Rutherford, and Mayank Markande. After the retention deadline, the franchise has the lowest purse out of all franchises, with only INR 2.75 crore left.

"My favorite team of the trade window is RR" - R Ashwin praises his former franchise for making shrewd deals ahead of IPL 2026 Auction

Rajasthan Royals (RR) had a busy trading window as they acquired the trio of Sam Curran, Donovan Ferreira, and Ravindra Jadeja, while letting go of Sanju Samson and Nitish Rana. The inaugural champions also went all out with their releases, parting ways with Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana, among other names.

"My favorite team of the trade window is RR. One surprise from the release list is Akash Madhwal, I thought he bowled well. People may say that their bowling is not looking strong. One thing they need to address is spinners, and I think Ravi Bishnoi is an option. Bishnoi at Jaipur could actually be a very good match," Ashwin said.

The majority of fans and pundits expected Mayank Yadav to be back in the auction table due to his price point and injury concerns. The speedster just played two matches in IPL 2025, and has not played since then in competitive cricket.

Ashwin praised the LSG management for bestowing faith in Mayank Yadav despite all the setbacks.

"The best factor of LSG was that they showed a lot of trust on Mayank Yadav. They have acknowledged that he is not a normal talent, and are backing him. They have a lot of faith in his ability, and want to give him one more shot. If a player is injured, then it not only the player's fault, but also the ecosystem that has not managed him well over the 12 months time to be able to put him on the park. So they are also accountable, which is something that is lovely to see from LSG," Ashwin opined.

LSG have released some of their big-money signings like David Miller, Akash Deep, and Ravi Bishnoi, to head into the auction with a purse of INR 22.95 crore.

Edited by Gokul Nair