Mumbai: Ahead of the Indian Premier League 2022 season, Lucknow Super Giants mentor Gautam Gambhir has given a warning to newly appointed franchise skipper KL Rahul.
The former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) skipper has said that a leadership role in the IPL will not guarantee him India’s captaincy. Gambhir also stated that the Super Giants will need Rahul as a batter who has to take the front seat and lead the team, instead of the skipper who can only bats.
“Ultimately, it is the leader who is the flag-bearer of a team and so it’s Rahul who will lead Lucknow Super Giants on and off the field. For me, it is important to have KL Rahul the batter, who is also the captain of the team rather than KL Rahul, the captain, who also bats. I hope I am able to make you understand the difference,” he said in a conversation with PTI.
Notably, LSG captain Rahul is also serving as the vice-captain for the Indian cricket team across the formats. The 29-year-old has also served as Indian captain in few occasions in the absence of regular skipper Rohit Sharma.
Gambhir also reckoned he would like Rahul to take calculated risks in order to improve his and his team’s performances on the pitch. Gambhir also confirmed that Rahul will not have to keep wickets for LSG and ensure that he has less pressure and is relaxed as their skipper.
“Any captain should learn to take risks. I would want Rahul to take risks and unless you take calculated risks, you won’t know if you would succeed or not. Also this time, Quinton de Kock will be our wicketkeeper, so with no keeping duties, he can be free and relaxed, concentrating on his batting and leadership,” Gambhir further explained.
Lucknow Super Giants will open their IPL 2022 campaign against fellow debutants Gujarat Titans on March 28 in MCA stadium in Pune.
