IPL | Bharat Arun to replace Zaheer Khan as Lucknow Super Giants bowling coach next season

07/30/2025

Lucknow Super Giants bring Bharat Arun as the bowling coach in place of legendary Indian pacer Zaheer Khan following their abysmal season in 2025, where they failed to make it into the playoffs. Arun previously worked with the Kolkata Knight Riders for four years as a bowling consultant.

Bharat Arun was appointed as the bowling coach of Lucknow Super Giants in the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League. He replaces Zaheer Khan, with the franchise enduring a horrific season earlier this year. LSG finished seventh on the points table in the 2025 edition with six wins and eight losses in the tournament. Khan was a high-profile signing in the franchise who was brought in by the team as a mentor and bowling coach. However, following the egregious season, it seems like they have chosen to appoint an experienced bowling coach in Arun.

The former Indian pacer has an impressive coaching background, where he has worked with a lot of top teams in international and franchise cricket. Apart from his work with KKR, including the title-winning 2024 season, he has had two stints as the Indian cricket team's bowling coach from 2014 to 2015 and 2017 to 2021. He has also been part of the RCB backroom from 2015-2017, when the team reached their third final in 2016 before missing out on the title to Sunrisers Hyderabad. His role in the squad is also expected to be expanded, where he will also be responsible for scouting and developing the young pacers within the team.

"It's an honour to join the Lucknow Super Giants, a franchise that reflects professionalism, ambition, and vision at every level. My conversations with Dr. Sanjiv Goenka and the management were incredibly energizing - there is a clear intent to invest in young Indian talent and build a long-term legacy. What excites me most is the vision for long-term development. LSG has invested in a young, talented, and dynamic group of Indian fast bowlers - Akash Deep, Avesh Khan, Mayank Yadav, Prince Yadav, Mohsin Khan, and Akash Singh - and I see immense potential in each of them. My mission is to help shape them into a cohesive, fearless, and tactically sharp pace unit that can challenge the best batting line-ups in the world," Arun said in his statement

Apart from Arun, the LSG franchise is set to bring in Carl Crowe as a spin bowling consultant as well. The 49-year-old Crowe is credited to have worked with world-class mystery spinners Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy in the KKR camp. The franchise will be making an official announcement regarding his recruitment very soon.