LSG owner cites lack of mentor as key reason for IPL 2024 struggles

The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) faced a tough IPL 2024 season, finishing seventh in the standings with an even split of seven wins and seven losses. Despite being one of four teams to finish with 14 points, their poor net run rate kept them out of the playoffs, with Royal Challengers Bangalore claiming the last spot.

In previous seasons, LSG had the experienced Gautam Gambhir as their mentor. However, Gambhir shifted to the Kolkata Knight Riders for the 2024 season, leaving a crucial leadership gap at LSG. The team recently filled this void by appointing former Indian cricketer Zaheer Khan as their new mentor.

Sanjiv Goenka, the owner of LSG, recently shared his thoughts on why the team struggled this year. He pointed to the absence of a mentor as a significant factor in their underperformance.

"We all learn from the mistakes. I think it's not only about strategic guidance and advice (from a mentor) but also inputs. It's about making players feel comfortable in their skin. They go out and express themselves, and do so with freedom and clarity. I think that is where we felt that we missed something last year," Goenka said.

Goenka highlighted several close games that slipped away from LSG. 

"We lost that game to Hyderabad badly, then we lost to Delhi in a game which we could have won. In the game against Gujarat, we should have won with a better margin. We took it to the 20th over. Those are the situations for which we have nobody else to blame but ourselves. But we are here to improve," he further added.

Despite the challenges, Goenka remains optimistic.

"We recognize that in sports you don't win every year. You cannot win every year and you cannot win every game. But as long as that attitude of winning is there and that attitude to improve from your losses and mistakes is there, I'm satisfied," he concluded.