[In Pictures] Naveen-ul-Haq shares heartwarming message for LSG after being released ahead of IPL 2025 Auction

Afghanistan pacer Naveen-ul-Haq took to social media on Wednesday, November 6, to express his gratitude to the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) with a heartwarming message. The franchise decided to release him ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction.

LSG retained Nicholas Pooran for ₹21 crore, making him the second-most expensive player, tied with RCB’s Virat Kohli and only behind SRH’s Heinrich Klaasen (₹23 crore). Also retained were Ravi Bishnoi (₹11 crore), Mayank Yadav (₹11 crore), Mohsin Khan (₹4 crore), and Ayush Badoni (₹11 crore).

On Wednesday, the 25-year-old took to Instagram to share his gratitude for the franchise, posting:

“Thankful for the opportunity and being part of this amazing team for the past 2 seasons. My best wishes will always be with everyone involved in this team in the future to the management staff and the guys who were working behind the scenes and not to forget LSG brigade. Thank you everyone @lucknowsupergiants.”

Meanwhile, LSG also released KL Rahul, their captain of the past three seasons. The 2024 season saw a heated exchange between Rahul and LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka following a match against SunRisers Hyderabad.

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Naveen-ul-Haq played 18 games for Lucknow across two seasons

The 25-year-old pacer was acquired by LSG for ₹50 lakh ahead of IPL 2023. During that season, he featured in eight matches and claimed 11 wickets. Lucknow's campaign ended in the Eliminator, where Mumbai Indians defeated them by 81 runs.

The Afghanistan bowler featured in 10 matches during the 2024 season, taking 14 wickets, but conceded runs at a poor economy rate of 10.19. LSG finished seventh in the points table, failing to qualify for the playoffs for the first time in their history. Overall, Naveen represented LSG in 18 matches, claiming 25 wickets.