Former Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin questioned Lucknow Super Giants’ team management over their odd selection decisions after their dismal show in IPL 2026. LSG ended their campaign as the tournament’s cellar-dwellers, winning only four out of their 14 matches. 

Ashwin questioned LSG’s decision to drop Ayush Badoni, who scored 215 runs in 10 matches at an average of 21.50 and a strike rate of 152.48. The former CSK spinner wondered why the franchise kept backing out-of-form Nicholas Pooran.

Ashwin said on his YouTube Channel, “Nicholas Pooran could not lay bat on ball the entire season, yet they backed Nicholas Pooran time and again. Ayush Badoni got an India call-up yet sat out several matches for LSG. They had to give him a long run. Then you sit Mukesh Choudhary after calling him the next best finisher and play Himmat Singh.”

The former spinner said the franchise could have backed Rishabh Pant as an opener and he could have flourished as a leader if he had succeeded at the top of the order.

“They could have got the best out of Pant if they made him open the batting. Had he scored 600 runs opening, he would have captained well and listened to the coaches instead of saying there were too many decision makers. Once they played musical chairs with Pant, half their tournament was finished there itself,” he stated.

The former Tamil Nadu spinner said Avesh Khan playing ahead of Akash Singh didn’t make much sense.

“Their usage of Digvesh Rathi was poor, and they didn’t know who to play between him and M Siddharth. Shami started well, but they sat him down. Avesh Khan played the matches he shouldn’t have. Avesh Khan playing over Akash Singh cannot be justified at all. Everything has fallen down for them, and it’s hard to see where they’ll reset from,” said Ashwin (via the aforementioned source).

LSG would aim to make a stronger comeback in the next season.