“LSG head coach Langer and mentor Zaheer don’t talk and sit together”: Kaif hints towards divided dressing room
Lucknow Super Giants are going down at an alarming pace in the Indian Premier League 2025. After showing promising signs at the start of the 18th season, the franchise has lost the plot in recent times. Their recent 38-run defeat against Punjab Kings was their sixth, and now they will have to win the remaining three games for their playoff hopes.
Captain Rishabh Pant, who was bought for a record-breaking INR 27 crore, has been a big letdown as a leader and batter. He has hardly got anything right when it comes to batting, and repeated failures have impacted the performance of the team.
The southpaw was making impressive moves as a skipper in the first half of the tournament, but now even that has dried up at the business end. Another possible reason behind the failure of the franchise could be a breakdown of the relationship between head coach Justin Langer and mentor Zaheer Khan.
They don’t talk to each other, and it is Zaheer who is calling the shots during the strategic timeouts, with Langer nowhere in the picture. Legendary India pacer often speaks to Rishabh but not to other players, and Langer is only seen patting the back of the players instead of forming a hurdle with Khan and the captain. Former player Mohammad Kaif opined on the matter and gave a clear hint that the two decision-makers at LSG are at loggerheads.
“Zaheer and Langer don’t talk and sit together. They spoke to players differently. I know when you are a new group, it takes time to gel, but surprisingly, they don’t get involved despite being a part of the core group. It is the business end of the tournament, and you should work closely,” Mohammad Kaif said.
Considering the form of the players, it looks like Lucknow’s season is over, as it would be impossible for them to remain unbeaten in the upcoming games.
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