Zaheer Khan Profile 2026: LSG Mentor Exit, IPL Legacy, Coaching Future

Zaheer Khan served as LSG Mentor for one season (IPL 2025) and resigned ahead of IPL 2026 after reported differences with head coach Justin Langer and owner Sanjiv Goenka. He is not with LSG in 2026. Here's the profile.

The headline

311 Test wickets for India — fourth-highest by an Indian; 2011 ODI World Cup winner and tournament joint-leading wicket-taker. That is the credential that defines Zaheer, not a franchise-office title. A generation of India's fast bowlers — Bumrah, Siraj, Shami — have cited him.

LSG exit (Sep 2025)

Zaheer joined LSG as Mentor in 2024 as part of the post-Gambhir rebuild and held the role for IPL 2025. He parted ways in September 2025, reportedly over coaching-structure disagreements with Justin Langer, while maintaining a strong working relationship with captain Rishabh Pant. LSG are expected to name a new mentor before the IPL 2026 auction.

IPL legacy as a bowler

Zaheer played for Mumbai Indians, RCB and Delhi Daredevils across his IPL career, captaining DD in 2015. He later served as Director of Cricket Operations at MI during their title years before moving to LSG. His bowling-plan template — cutters into the pitch, scrambled seam at the death — still underpins India's T20 pace blueprint.

Career arc

From Shrirampur club cricket to Test debut in 2000, through the 2011 World Cup, to coaching mentorship — Zaheer's journey is the definitive Indian left-arm pacer story.

What's next

His next coaching role is yet to be announced as of April 2026. Meanwhile, see IPL 2026 LSG squad analysis for how the Langer-Pant setup is operating without him.

Related reading

• IPL 2026 Lucknow Super Giants squad analysis
• Top 10 IPL coaches all time
• IPL 2026 captains scoreboard
• IPL team owners complete list

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Zaheer Khan still LSG mentor in 2026?

No. He resigned ahead of IPL 2026 after one season as mentor.

Why did Zaheer Khan leave LSG?

Reported differences with head coach Justin Langer and owner Sanjiv Goenka over coaching-structure and squad vision.

How many Test wickets did Zaheer take for India?

311 Test wickets — fourth-highest by an Indian bowler.

Which IPL teams did Zaheer play for?

Mumbai Indians, RCB, and Delhi Daredevils.

Was Zaheer Khan part of the 2011 World Cup winning squad?

Yes — and was joint-leading wicket-taker of the tournament with 21 wickets.

The takeaway

Bookmark the IPL 2026 points table, schedule, and Dream11 tools.