Mumbai: Former Indian cricketer and the team mentor of the Indian Premier League’s new Lucknow franchise, Gautam Gambhir feels that KL Rahul is a phenomenal batter and he will be under pressure to perform.
This is why the franchise must back and support him to focus on his performances and not on the price tag he comes with.
Rahul did not have a good record as captain for Punjab Kings in IPL 2020 and 2021. Despite that, the Lucknow franchise bagged him for a whopping amount of 17 crores, making him one of the highest-paid players of the IPL ever.
KL Rahul was the first player picked in the draft by Lucknow Super Giants, he was also announced as the skipper of the side.
Rahul will don the captaincy hat. While Andy Flower has already been named the coach of the Lucknow franchise. While former India batter Gautam Gambhir will serve as the mentor of the franchise. “It is for the support staff to make him feel free. The biggest burden will not be the price tag but the pressure to perform,” Gambhir said.
Talking about the strategy for the upcoming auction, Gambhir said that the franchise is looking for players who will prioritize playing for the franchise during the IPL over everything else.
“We want players who are honest, want to play for the franchise, and who do not think of playing for India in those two months. Playing for India is a by-product. We want performances for Lucknow,” the former Kolkata Knight Riders skipper said.
Lucknow franchise owner Sanjiv Goenka stated that picking Rahul as captain was a no-brainer due to his unmissable record. He also threw light on the decision regarding picking young leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi as one of the draft picks.
“Appointing KL as captain was no brainer. We approached him and there was a meeting of minds. I am very impressed with his cool approach and unflappable temperament. He is not very expressive and that’s also the way I am,” Goenka said.
“Gautam suggested we go in with an uncapped player. Bishnoi is a wicket-taker and an outstanding fielder. The combination is very good,” he added.
When asked whether having the vice-captain of the Indian white-ball team as captain of the Super Giants will add to the team’s brand value, Goenka said that it victories that will build the team’s brand.
“If you have more players of the national team in the IPL team, it will add to brand value. Eventually what will enhance brand value is wins. One needs to perform to win and compete effectively,” Goenka concluded.
The new Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise on Monday revealed the logo of the side ahead of the 2022 mega auction on February 12-13 in Bengaluru. Lucknow will look to buy a few more good players. The 15th season will start from March 27 and will continue till May end as per reports.
