"That's ₹49 crore in just 3 players" - Aakash Chopra on LSG's potential releases after IPL 2025 exit

Former India player Aakash Chopra has picked the Lucknow Super Giants' (LSG) potential releases after they were eliminated from the IPL 2025 playoff race. He noted that the franchise can make ₹49 crore available for the next season's auction if it releases the expensive trio of Rishabh Pant, Mayank Yadav and Ravi Bishnoi.

LSG suffered a six-wicket defeat against the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) in a must-win IPL 2025 game in Lucknow on Monday, May 19. They set the visitors a seemingly challenging 206-run target, but allowed it to be chased down with 10 deliveries to spare.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra,' the former India opener opined that LSG could let go of Pant, Yadav and Bishnoi ahead of the IPL 2026 auction.

"They had retained Mayank Yadav. However, Mayank Yadav has played only six matches in the last three years, and you gave him ₹11 crore. I think you gave ₹11 crore to Ravi Bishnoi as well, who, by the end, was either not part of the team or was hit for 26 runs in an over and didn't bowl after that in that match," Chopra said (10:50).

"Since Rishabh Pant's year has been so ordinary, he didn't score runs in the last match as well, it didn't work out despite him coming at No. 3, but it's ₹27 crore. If it's ₹27 crore from him and you get two more ₹11 crore, that's ₹49 crore in just three players. ₹49 crore will get released," he added.

Rishabh Pant has aggregated 135 runs at a paltry average of 12.27 in 11 innings in IPL 2025. While Mayank Yadav has picked up two wickets, at an economy rate of 12.50, in as many games, Ravi Bishnoi's nine dismissals in 11 matches have cost him 10.83 runs per over.

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"Akash Deep was not cheap" - Aakash Chopra on other players LSG could release after IPL 2025 exit

Akash Deep has picked up three wickets at an economy rate of 12.00 in five innings in IPL 2025. [P/C: Getty]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra reckoned that the Lucknow Super Giants could also consider releasing Akash Deep and Avesh Khan, who were bought for ₹8 crore and ₹9.75 crore, respectively.

"I don't remember, but I think Akash Deep was also worth five or six crores (₹8 crore). Akash Deep was not cheap. So if Akash Deep's money is also added to that, it will become close to ₹55 crore. So there will be questions. Avesh Khan won one or two matches for sure, but he too was very expensive. So, suddenly, you need to see in which direction you are going," he said (11:40).

While opining that David Miller might also not be retained, the cricketer-turned-commentator added that LSG, just like the Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the IPL 2025 auction, might have a huge purse at the next season's auction.

"David Miller, again an expensive buy. If you add his money as well, they might be the new Punjab Kings next year. Just like the Punjab Kings came into the mega auction with more than ₹110 crore, the Lucknow Super Giants might go to the mini-auction with so much money that they can buy the world and more," Chopra observed.

However, Aakash Chopra noted that players are usually overpriced in the mini-auction. He warned LSG that good players might also not be available for certain positions, as the other franchises wouldn't have released them.