Nicholas Pooran, Mayank Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, and the uncapped players Mohsin Khan and Ayush Badoni are set be retained by Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for IPL 2025. KL Rahul, who has been the captain and the first player for LSG since the team's inception in 2022, is unlikely to continue with the franchise. LSG would have only one player with the right to match (RTM) card when the auction takes place. The amount for the five players has not been confirmed yet, but LSG will have INR 51 crore deducted from their budget based on the retention rules of the IPL. In case the total payment for the five players exceeds INR 51 crore, then the higher amount will be deducted from the INR 120 crore budget that each franchise has for IPL 2025. Pooran would probably be the highest retention, followed by Mayank and Bishnoi. In 2024, Pooran scored the second most runs after Rahul and was also playing as the stand in captain and wicketkeeper for half of the season as Rahul was injured. Pooran, 29, is one of the best power-hitters and was bought by LSG for INR 16 crore before the 2023 season. Since his first IPL season in 2017 where he was signed by Mumbai Indians for INR 30 lakhs, his price has gone up. In 2019, Punjab Kings bought him for INR 4.2 crore and Sunrisers Hyderabad acquired him for INR 10.75 crore in 2022 before releasing him. Also Read | Punjab Kings Retain Haddin, Joshi; Hopes to Join Support Staff Mayank Yadav was awarded two Player-of-the-Match awards in his first two IPL games and bowled deliveries over 150 kph in 2024, but a side strain confined him to just four matches. He was subsequently added to the list of fast bowlers with national contracts. In 2024, LSG bought Mayank for INR 20 lakhs and has played 17 T20 matches, which include four IPL matches, 10 matches for his domestic team and the remaining 3 are the international games which he played against Bangladesh. Ravi Bishnoi was one of three players LSG retained ahead of the mega auction for INR 4 crore in 2022. In his first season, Bishnoi took 13 wickets at 8.44. In 2023, he picked up 16 wickets at 7.74 and helped LSG reach the playoffs once again. Last season, he could only manage 10 wickets in 14 matches at 8.77. Uncapped Talents Retained Both Ayush Badoni and Mohsin Khan were bought for INR 20 lakhs each during the 2022 auction and have been useful to LSG. Badoni-a fiery middle-order batter - has had his best season last year, scoring 238 runs at a strike rate of 138 in 12 innings. He played recently in the Emerging Series for India A. Uttar Pradesh has produced another exciting pace bowler in the 6'3" left-arm fast man, who had a significant IPL season in 2022 taking 14 wickets in nine matches at an economy of under 6. But that was also a season when he suffered a serious injury which almost cost him his arm as well. IHe performed well in the second half of 2023, and he also bagged 10 in 10 in 2024.