The Lucknow Super Giants have made their first formal signing for the IPL 2025, retaining West Indies wicket-keeper batsman Nicholas Pooran for Rs 18 crore. According to Cricbuzz, Pooran went to the RPSG group’s Kolkata office on Tuesday to meet with team owner Sanjiv Goenka and finish the procedures of his retention. Pooran joined LSG in 2023 for Rs 16 crore, and media sources indicate that he could succeed KL Rahul as captain for the 2025 season.
“Pooran is committed to LSG, possesses an offensive mindset, believes deep and above everything, and is adaptable to both the batting order and any match setting,” a spokesperson for LSG disclosed to Cricbuzz. According to Cricbuzz, Rahul will no longer be part of the LSG setup, with Pooran becoming the first of five retainers. Ravi Bishnoi, Mayank Yadav, Ayush Badoni, and Mohsin Khan are among the other retentions. LSG is slated to enter the IPL 2025 auction with a purse of Rs 69 crore.
Before the IPL big auction, the Gujarat Titans are expected to retain skipper Shubman Gill, top spinner Rashid Khan, and left-handed batsman Sai Sudharsan. The team also anticipates keeping uncapped hitters, Rahul Tewatia and Shahrukh Khan. “Shubman, Rashid, and Sai will be retained by the franchise,” an IPL insider stated.
Gill, seen as a potential leader in Indian cricket, captained Titans for the first time earlier this year when the club placed eighth out of ten teams. Titans won the IPL on their debut in 2022, and finished second the following year, both under Hardik Pandya’s leadership.
Rashid’s retention is also in line with expectations. The 26-year-old collected 19 wickets in his first season with the squad in 2022, then 27 the following season. His form slipped this season, with 10 wickets in 12 games at an average of 36.70. Sudharsan will also be retained ahead of the October 31 deadline, following a breakout year in which he scored 527 runs in 12 games, including a hundred. The young batter has played three ODIs and one T20 for the national side.
Uncapped Shahrukh Khan batted at an excellent strike rate of 169.33, and for Rs 4 crore, he would be a bargain for the franchise. Last season, the southpaw batted with a 145-plus strike rate.