Former India opener and two-time IPL winning captain with the Kolkata Knight Riders, Gautam Gambhir has been appointed as the mentor of the Lucknow franchise. The new IPL team bought by RP Sanjiv Goenka group for a whopping sum of INR 7090 crore has started to build their coaching staff, beginning with the appointment of the head coach in Andy Flower, who was previously assisting Anil Kumble at the Punjab Kings.
The sources in the know of the development told the newspaper, “Gambhir brings with him a proven track record in the IPL as captain for KKR. He also has a penchant for grooming young talent which Lucknow feels will suit them well ahead of what is expected to be a tough initiation into an increasingly competitive IPL scenario.”
The yet-unnamed Lucknow franchise, who are aiming to get the opener and wicket-keeper batsman KL Rahul, have now two of the better minds of the game in Flower and Gambhir working together as the player draft for two new teams draws close. They are currently ahead in terms of signings as compared to their counterparts in Ahmedabad since there are still question marks over their owners CVC Capital and their participation.
Talking about his appointment, Gambhir said, “Thanks a lot to Dr Goenka and the RPSG Group for presenting me with this wonderful opportunity. The fire to win a contest still burns bright inside me. The desire to leave a winners’ legacy still kicks me 24×7. I will not be contesting for a dressing room but for the spirit and soul of Uttar Pradesh.”
The mega-auction is still a little time away from but the Goenka-owned side has already started to flex their arms as far as appointments of supports staff and possible player-signings are concerned for the 2022 edition of the IPL.
