Season at a glance: A dismal wooden spoon finish underlined by misfiring stars and two units that never quite clicked in tandem. The first half of the season was defined by an underperforming batting line-up, not to mention some off-field theatrics and desperate cover-ups grabbing attention for all the wrong reasons. By the time the batting finally found its rhythm, the bowling attack, so impressive earlier in the campaign, had begun to unravel. The result was just four wins from 14 games. LSG slipped to the bottom of the table early and never really recovered.

Player of the season: Prince Yadav

Who can forget the image of Virat Kohli's off stump flattened and a jubilant Prince Yadav leaping into the air in celebration? To say the fast bowler enjoyed a breakout season would be an understatement. His return of 16 wickets from 14 games at an average of 28.68, a strike rate of 19.5 and an economy of 8.82 only tells part of the story. The fact that those performances earned him an India call-up says the rest.

A stat that adds up:

Rishabh Pant's win percentage as LSG captain - a meagre 35.71%, with just 10 wins from 28 games. His decision to step down as captain immediately after the season came as little surprise.

A mini-auction pick that...

Looked a million bucks: Mukul Choudhary established himself as one of the brightest prospects to emerge this season. Combining six-hitting prowess with maturity beyond his years, he displayed excellent game awareness and remained ice-cool under pressure. He embraced the finisher's role with confidence and is a player LSG are likely to invest in further.

Didn't work out: Wanindu Hasaranga was brought in to provide middle-overs control and add some lower-order muscle, but a persistent hamstring niggle ruled him out before he could make an impact. He was eventually replaced by George Linde.

Best match of the season: It arrived early in the campaign against KKR at the Eden Gardens. Chasing 182, and reeling at 128 for 7 after 16 overs, LSG appeared all but beaten before Mukul Choudhary produced something special. His unbeaten 54 off 27 balls dragged his side over the line, with two fours and seven sixes. Mukul also shared a 54-run eighth-wicket partnership with Avesh Khan, who contributed a grand total of one run.

On a scale of 1-10, 1 being urgent need for introspection and 10, a celebration into the night - IPL 2026 for LSG has been: 3/10

The introspection has already begun, and there are signs it is being acted upon. Pant has stepped down as captain, while his long-term future with the franchise remains uncertain. Having failed to justify his billing as LSG's poster boy, the franchise are left reassessing whether their INR 27 crore investment could be better deployed elsewhere.