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Former England captain Michael Vaughan does not see Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) persisting with head coach Justin Langer after finishing 10th on the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 points table. Vaughan said that there will be serious questions asked from the leadership group after 10 losses from 14 games this season and third consecutive season where they haven’t qualified for playoffs.
“You look at Justin Langer and Rishabh Pant now - seventh, seventh, and potentially tenth. In professional sport, those results bring pressure. You may not look at that squad and think it should win the IPL, but finishing last raises serious questions for the leadership group. That’s what they are paid for - to get the culture, ethics, and performances right,” Vaughan said on Cricbuzz.
LSG roped in Pant for a record-breaking Rs 27 crore. But, Vaughan believes that there are too many minds at work in the dressing room. He did not even name Lance Klusener and Bharat Arun who play a crucial role in the coaching staff.
“I know Justin Langer really well. He strongly believes in hard work and team culture, but for whatever reason it just hasn’t worked. You’ve got Tom Moody, Kane Williamson, Justin Langer, Rishabh Pant, and then the owner. That’s basically five chefs in the kitchen,” Vaughan added.
Vaughan recalls Flower’s LSG tenure with ‘weaker side’
The 51-year-old further pointed out that LSG's former head coach Andy Flower did well to help them qualify for playoffs despite a weaker side. He also used former Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho's name to make his point.
“Sometimes in sport, we only judge coaches on trophies. You look at Andy Flower finishing third with probably not the best squad at that time. That shows how good a coach can be. Jose Mourinho once said his biggest achievement was finishing second with Manchester United because he felt that squad was nowhere near good enough,” the 51-year-old said.
After the seven-wicket defeat to Punjab Kings (PBKS) to cap off their campaign, LSG’s Director of Cricket, Tom Moody hinted at changes in the side for the next season including the captaincy of Pant.
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