Former India opener Gautam Gambhir has opened up about Lucknow Super Giants’s strategy in the upcoming IPL mega auction to be held on February 12 and 13. Lucknow Super Giants is one of the two new teams inducted into the IPL. Gambhir was appointed the mentor of the newly inducted franchise.
The franchise has already made some big moves as they appointed former Zimbabwe captain Andy Flower as their head coach. Ahead of the auction they also announced their 3 draft pickings in form of KL Rahul, Marcus Stoinis, and Ravi Bishnoi. Now all focus will be on the mega auction as they will go with ₹ 58 Crores in their purse.
“I think it’s a great opportunity to create a legacy and create something which has never been created before. We don’t want to copy anyone; we need to have our own template, we need to have our own legacy as well. And what better than when you have no baggage,” Gautam Gambhir spoke to Boria Majumdar on his show ‘Backstage With Boria’.
Notable that it is not the first RP-Sanjiv Goenka group that has been involved in the IPL, previously they bought the Pune franchise two years when Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals were banned over corruptions charges.
“Sanjiv (Goenka) sir, when he had Pune (franchise), they missed winning the title by one run. So it’s going to be a great challenge if we can finish that unfinished business as well but then we can’t promise that it’s going to happen in one year. It’s a long-term prospect as well. It’s not going to be something like we are going to think only for this year,” Gambhir added.
Gambhir also lauded Ravi Bishnoi who is one of three draft pickings by the franchise. Ravi Bishnoi also received his maiden India call-up as he was picked for the series against West Indies.
“Ravi Bishnoi, from that point of view, made a lot of sense as well. He is young, he is a wicket-taking option and he is got to be your sure-shot guy playing in the playing XI; he can bowl at different stages of the game. More importantly, he is an uncapped player as well. So from every sense, it made a lot of logic for us to actually get him on board so that we can develop him going forward,” Gautam Gambhir said.
“Ravi Bishnoi can bowl at different stages of the game”- Gautam Gambhir
Bishnoi had a phenomenal record in IPL so far as he picked 24 wickets in 23 games with an economy of 6.97.
“If he keeps his head on his shoulder, he will get better from here on. Going forward, if you see most of the leg spinners, this is probably the youngest of the lot and probably the most talented of the lot as well. So from that point of view, we have a present and a long-term strategy as well. So hopefully it will be a good journey going forward,” Gambhir concluded.
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