Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) are set to undergo a massive rebuild in their batting lineup ahead of the 2027 Indian Premier League (IPL). The process has started with Delhi Capitals' surprise trade of Rishabh Pant in place of Kuldeep Yadav, and they are now close to appointing a new batting coach, G Jayakumar.
According to reports in Cricbuzz, the franchise, which is bottom of the standings, is also looking to secure a power-hitting batsman in the mini auction ahead of the new season. However, before the search begins, LSG will also be looking to develop skills within the players within its ranks by bringing in Jayakumar as the batting coach.
Despite being a medium pace bowler during his playing career, Jayakumar enjoys tremendous goodwill as the batting coach in Chennai. The former Kerala player is widely credited for the development of Sai Sudarshan, who has scored over 700 runs in the IPL in his last two campaigns.
The deal is reportedly close to being finalised, with Jayakumar set to join LSG's backroom staff, which includes Tom Moody (director of cricket), Justin Langer (head coach) and Bharat Arun (bowling coach). Former South African player Lance Klusener will step down from coaching duties ahead of the new season, with the 59-year-old set to join the Uttar Pradesh-based franchise.
LSG has already started its preparations for the next season of IPL. According to the above source, the franchise is set to send its domestic batsmen to Perth to train under Langer before coming back to India and spending time with Jayakumar. These include Ayush Badoni, Abdul Samad, Himmat Singh, Mukul Chaudhary, Akshat Raghuvanshi and Arshin Kulkarni.
It is noteworthy that after Pant's move to DC, LSG will enter the 2027 auction with a huge sum of over Rs 23 crore. This will give them enough money to sign some batsmen and possibly an Indian wicketkeeper to replace their former captain.
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