Pooran was an “automatic choice” as the team’s main player and the decision to retain him took “two minutes”, according to Goenka. “We had a very simple mentality in playing with players who had a winning mentality, who put the team before their personal goals and aspirations,” he said. “And we wanted to retain as much of the core as possible within our available portfolio. We had a solid bowling unit, which is why we picked three bowlers.” [Bishnoi, Mayank and Mohsin] from the previous season and all the Indians. Pooran was a no-brainer. Ayush [Badoni] “He has done well in positions 6 and 7.”
While Rahul was LSG’s top scorer in IPL 2024 with 520 runs at a strike rate of 136, Pooran’s 499 runs came at a strike rate of 178.
Mayank made his IPL debut in 2024 but only played four matches before being ruled out due to injury. He made a big impression at the time with his speeds of 150 km/h and won two Man of the Match awards.
Mohsin and Bishnoi took just 10 wickets each in IPL 2024, while Badoni scored just 235 runs in the lower-middle order. But since Mohsin is only 26 and Bishnoi and Badoni are 24, LSG sees them as long-term prospects.
With five players retained, including two uncapped players, at a total cost of Rs 51 crore, LSG is left with Rs 69 crore to spend in the mega auction. They have a right to match option that they can use if they want to buy back one of their international players.
