‘No identity within the team’: Ex-India batter blasts LSG, questions franchise direction
Former India batter Abhinav Mukund has questioned the direction and structure of the Lucknow Super Giants team after their defeat against Delhi Capitals, highlighting a lack of clarity in how the team presents itself in the 2026 IPL.
The criticism follows a convincing six-wicket win for Delhi, powered by Sameer Rizvi’s unbeaten 70 and his decisive 119-run partnership with Tristan Stubbs, which took the match away from LSG at the Ekana Stadium.
Mukund admitted that he was still not convinced about Lucknow’s identity as a team, especially compared to other relatively new franchises. “I’m not sure about LSG. They are a very young team in the IPL. Just like Gujarat Titans, who are slowly building an identity of who they are. They may have lost their first match (in 2026) but you know what Gujarat Titans will come up with on a certain day.
“They are heavy. They rely on their bowlers. They rely on their experience in the middle in terms of spinners. With Lucknow, it always feels like there is no identity within the team,” he told ESPNCricinfo.
He then highlighted what he sees as a key difference between the two sides. While the Gujarat Titans have established a clear approach built around their bowling strength and spin resources, Mukund believes Lucknow still lacks a defined style of play.
He says LSG’s performances often rely on moments of individual genius rather than a structured system. “You expect performances from the top, you expect a sudden performance, like a Mark Wood sometimes comes in and picks up five wickets. You want those brilliant individual performances to drive your team. That has always been the case for Lucknow.”
Mukund also raised concerns over the team balance and selection decisions during the match. “Even today I felt the balance of the team was quite lopsided, seven batters and four bowlers. And then you had to sacrifice your find from last season. I know he maybe didn’t follow that up with a great domestic season. He wasn’t among the wickets.
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“He didn’t have a great domestic season, but that doesn’t mean you released Ravi Bishnoi, which means you had faith in Digvesh Rathi and said ‘okay, you’re my number one player and you don’t play him in the first game,'” he noted.
With LSG already facing questions after their opening defeat, Mukund’s remarks highlight growing concerns over team balance, selection clarity and overall identity at the start of the season.
