Watch: Justin Langer issues official statement on Zaheer Khan's appointment as LSG mentor
Published - 29 Aug 2024, 04:34 PM | Updated - 30 Aug 2024, 11:13 AM
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) head coach Justin Langer issued an official statement after Zaheer Khan's appointment as a mentor for the team. Justin Langer said that he is looking forward to working with Zaheer Khan for the Lucknow Super Giants in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025.
The Lucknow Super Giants have appointed Zaheer Khan as their new mentor for IPL 2025. The former Indian bowler will take over the role that Gautam Gambhir held in their first two seasons of the IPL. The announcement was made at the RPSG headquarters in Kolkata on Wednesday, August 28.
Khan will also fill the role left by former South Africa fast bowler Morne Morkel, who joined the India men's cricket team. The LSG team has developed an exciting fast-bowling unit, consisting of Mayank Yadav, Mohsin Khan, and Yash Thakur, along with overseas quicks like Shamar Joseph and Naveen-ul-Haq.
A Great Inclusion To The LSG Team - Justin Langer
In a video shared by LSG on X (formerly known as Twitter), Justin Langer praised Zaheer Khan for his incredible competitive spirit. Langer highlighted that Khan's qualities will suit the Lucknow Super Giants. He said that Zaheer will help build a strong squad for the upcoming IPL season.
"A great inclusion to the LSG team and family. Zaheer Khan, what a warrior. I used to really admire him as a player. I've admired him as an opponent. He's always been one with incredible competitive spirits. Exactly the sort of attitude we want at LSG," Langer said.
"He's also a very humble man and it's another trait that we've got at LSG. We're delighted to have him. We can't wait to see him work with our fast bowlers and help us build a really, really competitive squad to help us win the IPL next year," he added.
JL 🤝 Zak
— Lucknow Super Giants (@LucknowIPL) August 29, 2024
Our Head Coach can't wait to start working with the new Mentor 💙 pic.twitter.com/fWGIaWHGP1
Zaheer Khan played for the Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and Delhi Capitals. He took 102 wickets in 100 matches during his decade-long IPL career. After retiring as a player, he worked with Mumbai as the director of cricket and later as the head of global development until 2022.
Can't Wait To See Zaheer Khan In Our Colours - Justin Langer
Justin Langer expressed excitement about Zaheer Khan joining the Lucknow Super Giants. The former Australian opening batter said that he can't wait to see Zaheer in LSG colors and is eager to get back involved.
"So I can't wait to see Zaheer Khan. I can't wait to see him in our colours and I know he's going to have a huge impact on our franchise. I can't wait to get back involved," Langer concluded.
The Lucknow Super Giants missed the playoffs for the first time in the 2024 season. They finished in seventh place with seven wins and seven losses from 14 matches. Notably, owner Sanjiv Goenka and KL Rahul had a heated exchange after a 10-wicket loss to SunRisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2024.
