IPL: Lucknow franchise to be called 'Lucknow Super Giants'
Sanjiv Goenka revealed the name of his Lucknow-based Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise on Monday. One of the two newly-added franchises, Lucknow, will be called Lucknow Super Giants. As per reports, RPSG Group, which owns the franchise, decided to crowdsource this name from fans. The Sanjiv Goenka-led group picked the franchise with a winning bid of Rs. 7,090 crore.
A look at the official update
Why does it matter?
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) conducted the bidding of two new IPL teams in October 2021. The RPSG Group picked the Lucknow-based franchise while CVC Capital acquired the Ahmedabad franchise. This officially makes the IPL a 10-team affair (eight existing sides). The last time when over eight franchises featured in the IPL was in 2013.
Lucknow and Ahmedabad have acquired three players each
The BCCI granted Lucknow and Ahmedabad three special picks. These teams could pick a few players outside the IPL 2022 mega auction. Lucknow Super Giants have acquired KL Rahul, Marcus Stoinis, and Ravi Bishnoi. Notably, the franchise has spent Rs. 17 crore for roping in Rahul. Meanwhile, Team Ahmedabad have signed Hardik Pandya, Rashid Khan, and Shubman Gill.
IPL 2022 mega auction to be held in February
The IPL 2022 auction is scheduled to be held on February 12 and 13 in Bengaluru. All players barring those retained and acquired by the 10 franchises will enter the auction. A total of 1,214 cricketers (896 Indian and 318 overseas players) have registered for the same. The list includes 270 capped, 312 uncapped, and 41 players from Associate teams.
Mumbai, Pune likely to host the IPL 2022
On Saturday, Cricbuzz reported that the IPL 2022 will be held in Mumbai and Pune. Notably, all matches will take place behind closed doors. Wankhede, Cricket Club of India (CCI), and DY Patil Stadium are the likely venues for the tournament. As per reports, the IPL 2022 could kick off on March 27, a week ahead of the planned start.
