Zaheer Khan in talks with LSG to take over as mentor

Zaheer Khan is in talks with Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for a mentorship role, with the franchise keen on bringing in a top former India player well-versed with T20 cricket to have a strong presence within their coaching setup following the departure of Gautam Gambhir .

Two other franchises are understood to have been keen on bringing on board Zaheer, who was until recently head of global development at Mumbai Indians (MI) - prior to that, he was director of cricket for the franchise from 2018-2022.

LSG have been without a mentor since Gambhir's departure late last year. Gambhir, who was part of the support group that helped Kolkata Knight Riders to their third IPL title in 2024, has since taken over as India head coach. Morne Morkel, the former South Africa pacer who was LSG's bowling coach, has now joined Gambhir's lineup in the India men's team in the same role.

Apart from the role of mentor, LSG are also keen on giving Zaheer a wider profile that will mean involvement with the scouting and player-development programmes during the off season.

LSG's backroom is currently led by Justin Langer, who replaced Andy Flower as head coach ahead of IPL 2024, with Lance Klusener and Adam Voges as his assistants. After securing playoff berths in their first two seasons, the KL Rahul-led side was pipped on net run-rate for a spot in the top four in 2024.

Zaheer's possible return to the IPL fold comes at a time when teams are preparing for a mega auction. The IPL is likely to announce the retention rules by early September.

Zaheer was part of three franchises - MI, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Delhi Daredevils - during his playing career. In all, he featured in 100 games for the three teams across ten seasons, picking up 102 wickets at an economy of 7.59. He last featured in the tournament in 2017, when he led Daredevils, before retiring from all forms of cricket.

Elsewhere, Punjab Kings are also on the lookout for an Indian head coach to replace Trevor Bayliss. They had reportedly been keen on bringing in VVS Laxman, but that is off the table with Laxman extending his term as head of the BCCI's National Cricket Academy. They currently have Sanjay Bangar on their roster as head of cricket development.