Lucknow Super Giants – A season of missteps that ended in a fall

Season at a glance: A dismal wooden spoon finish underlined by misfiring stars and two units that never quite clicked in tandem. The first half was defined by an underperforming batting line-up and off-field theatrics. By the time the batting found its rhythm, the bowling attack had unraveled. Just four wins from 14 games. LSG slipped to the bottom early and never recovered.

Player of the season: Prince Yadav

Who can forget Virat Kohli's off stump flattened and a jubilant Prince Yadav leaping into the air? His 16 wickets from 14 games at an average of 28.68, strike rate of 19.5 and economy of 8.82 only tells part of the story. Those performances earned him an India call-up.

A stat that adds up: Rishabh Pant's win percentage as LSG captain – a meagre 35.71%, with just 10 wins from 28 games. His decision to step down as captain came as little surprise.

A mini-auction pick that…

Looked a million bucks: Mukul Choudhary established himself as one of the brightest prospects. Combining six-hitting prowess with maturity beyond his years, he embraced the finisher's role with confidence.

Didn't work out: Wanindu Hasaranga was brought in for middle-overs control and lower-order muscle, but a persistent hamstring niggle ruled him out before he could make an impact.

Best match of the season: Against KKR at Eden Gardens. Chasing 182 and reeling at 128 for 7, Mukul Choudhary's unbeaten 54 off 27 balls dragged LSG over the line, with two fours and seven sixes, sharing a 54-run eighth-wicket partnership with Avesh Khan (who contributed 1 run).

On a scale of 1-10: 3/10

The introspection has begun. Pant has stepped down as captain, and his long-term future remains uncertain. The franchise is reassessing whether their INR 27 crore investment could be better deployed elsewhere.