Wasn’t IPL 2025 a great season? With all the reconfigured teams and the unpredictable results with each match. It seemed as if it was anybody’s game. The same was the case with the Lucknow Super Giants, at least in the initial days of the tournament. They undoubtedly displayed moments of true genius, but in the end, they were unable to put together the steady run they needed. So, as the dust settles and everyone starts looking ahead, the big question marks are already popping up for the LSG management.
From Lucknow, for Lucknow 💙 pic.twitter.com/aBkUX7xdkJ
— Lucknow Super Giants (@LucknowIPL) May 28, 2025
It’s going to be a real head-scratcher for them when it comes to deciding who makes the 2026 LSG retained list. You look at some of the 2025 LSG best players and think, “They have to keep him!” But with those retention limits, it’s never as simple as that, is it? It’s going to be fascinating to see who they back to build around for the next few years.
2025 LSG Best Players：Who’s Staying for Next Season
It’s true that throughout the season, a wide variety of players put on some really impressive performances. However, this does not imply that they will all be kept. When choosing whether to keep a player, some factors, including consistency, impact, and utility, should be taken into account. Of course, there are other things to think about; nobody said this would be simple. However, let’s attempt to predict a few of the players who will most likely be kept for LSG’s next campaign.
1. Mitchell Marsh
Mitchell Marsh has always been a player with immense talent, a true world-class batter. Yet, for years in the IPL, his performances were, let’s just say, a bit of a head-scratcher. Injuries certainly didn’t do him any favours, and because of that, there wasn’t exactly a queue of teams lining up for him at the auction.
मार्श की मार बड़ी जोरदार 💥💙 pic.twitter.com/dlegL0gJPz
— Lucknow Super Giants (@LucknowIPL) May 21, 2025
But what a turnaround 2025 has been! Marsh exploded this season, silencing all the doubters to become LSG’s leading run-scorer with a phenomenal 627 runs in just 13 innings. To put that into perspective, his previous best was a modest 251 runs in 2022. This season has completely transformed his IPL narrative. The “indifferent” tag? Gone. The questions about his future in the league? Vanished. Mitchell Marsh has firmly put himself back on the map as a dominant force and made a strong case for the 2026 LSG retained list.
2. Aiden Markram
Aiden Markram’s 2025 IPL season? Oh man, that was a story of pure redemption! He’s always had this incredible talent, right? But honestly, consistency sometimes felt like his biggest enemy, and you could almost hear the whispers about that haunting him at the 2025 mega auction. After SRH let him go, it looked like nobody was biting. But then, LSG stepped up and took a huge punt, grabbing the South African at his base price of just 2 Crore. And wow, did that gamble pay off! It was a bit shaky at first; he struggled a bit opening the innings in those first three games.
Class, composure, consistency 💪 pic.twitter.com/phSlr9a1MR
— Lucknow Super Giants (@LucknowIPL) April 14, 2025
But then, something just clicked. He became this rock-solid presence, churning out 445 runs – his absolute best in the IPL to date. He didn’t just find his form; he became one of the main pillars of LSG’s batting line-up. He’s reignited his IPL career with a bang, becoming one of the 2025 LSG best players, and you can bet he’s going to be a massive part of their plans for next year!
3. Digvesh Rathi
Can we just talk about Digvesh Rathi for a second? Seriously, what a find for the Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2025! This kid, a 25-year-old leg-spinner, just popped onto the scene in his very first IPL season, and he’s been an absolute revelation. It’s like he came out of nowhere and just started delivering big time, earning Rishabh Pant’s full trust when it mattered most.
Turns out, Digvesh has 7 letters too… pic.twitter.com/AZiWV4042N
— Lucknow Super Giants (@LucknowIPL) April 14, 2025
He played in 12 games this season, and get this: he snatched 14 wickets while keeping things super tight – his economy rate was just 8.18. Those are some proper numbers, right? But the cool thing about Digvesh is how he can bowl anywhere. Powerplay? No problem. Middle overs? You got it. Even those crazy death overs? Yep, he steps up. That kind of all-around talent makes him a captain’s dream, Rishabh Pant’s absolute secret weapon this season. He’s someone you just know is going to be a huge part of their team going forward.
4. Rishabh Pant
Well, it’s not like they’re going to get rid of him after just one bad season. Plus, the guy just set the record for the greatest comeback in the history of Indian cricket the previous year, after almost two years of his life-threatening accident. He will bounce back, and it’s a given.
— Lucknow Super Giants (@LucknowIPL) May 5, 2025
Moreover, LSG really shouldn’t switch captains one more time, as they have already lost KL Rahul in the process, which proved detrimental to their cause. So, they can’t risk repeating the same mistake with Pant, and he will feature in the 2026 LSG retained list.
Final Words
There were other performances as well by players who easily come under the 2025 LSG best players and deserve a place on that retention list. You know, Nicholas Pooran and Shardul Thakur are such players who belong with the above-mentioned players in that list. But for now, there are our picks who really shouldn’t be missed, or else it would be disastrous for the franchise.
