Mohammad Kaif predicts LSG’s release of Team India star ahead of IPL 2026 auction

Former Indian batter Mohammad Kaif believes Lucknow Super Giants can release Ravi Bishnoi ahead of IPL 2026 auction. Bishnoi was retained for INR 11 crore ahead of the previous edition’s mega auction. The leg-spinner had scalped nine wickets in 11 matches of IPL 2025.

Kaif reckons Digvesh Singh Rathi has moved ahead of Bishnoi in the pecking order. The former UP batter said Rishabh Pant has shown more trust in Rathi as compared to Bishnoi. Rathi scalped 14 wickets in 13 matches in IPL 2025 but could not carry his good form in Delhi Premier League 2025.

Mohammad Kaif said on his YouTube Channel, “Bishnoi will surely be released; you take it in writing. The reason is that they now have another leg spinner, Digvesh Rathi. He has booked a place for himself in the Lucknow team, and Rishabh Pant has shown a lot of faith in him. So, if I see who the captain likes more between Bishnoi and Rathi, it could be clearly seen that Rishabh Pant backed Rathi more.”

The Natwest Trophy final hero said LSG will need to find Indian batters in the auction ahead of the next season.

He added, “The problem they have now is with Indian batters. They need to find some players for that role, and will have to move forward by leaving the unfit youngsters. They don’t have a fast bowling unit, and now they don’t have enough spinners either, as I think Bishnoi will be released. They will add money by releasing those players and will do what Punjab used to do earlier at the auction.”

On the other hand, Kaif doesn’t think Punjab Kings will release a lot of players as head coach Ricky Ponting will back Glenn Maxwell.

He added, “Ricky Ponting rates Maxwell very highly. However, I think that they might have to leave Maxwell and Stoinis. Apart from that, they have a complete team. I don’t think they will release a lot of players.”They used Stoinis as their fifth bowler, and they faced a lot of issues due to that fifth bowler. Stoinis was given that role, but he proved to be expensive. He is usually very expensive with the ball. He gets hit very often. He takes a wicket here and there, but always leaks runs.”

Maxwell had failed to deliver the goods in the previous season of the tournament, managing only 48 runs in six innings at an average of eight and a strike rate of 97.95. 

On the other hand, Marcus Stoinis could only take a solitary wicket in nine innings. Furthermore, the Australian scored 160 runs in 11 innings in IPL 2025 at an average of 26.67.