IPL: Lucknow franchise rope in Gautam Gambhir as mentor
The Lucknow franchise of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has roped in veteran batter Gautam Gambhir as a mentor. Franchise owner Sanjiv Goenka informed about the development to Cricbuzz on Saturday. Two-time IPL-winning captain, Gambhir, joins Andy Flower, who was earlier appointed as the head coach of the Lucknow franchise. Notably, former Indian wicket-keeper, Vijay Dahiya, is expected to join as assistant coach.
Why does it matter?
During his playing days, Gambhir was one of the most fearless captains in the IPL. He led Kolkata Knight Riders to two titles, in 2012 and 2014, respectively. The 40-year-old also led Delhi Capitals in a few seasons. He could play a crucial role in shaping the Lucknow side, one of the two newly added franchises for the impending IPL season.
Look forward to working with Gambhir: Goenka
Welcoming Gambhir, Goenka, in a statement, said, "I respect his cricketing mind and look forward to working with him." Gambhir stated, "Thanks a lot to Dr Goenka and the RPSG Group for presenting me this wonderful opportunity in their setup. The fire to win a contest still burns bright inside me, the desire to leave a winner's legacy still kicks me 24x7."
A look at Gambhir's numbers in the IPL
Gambhir has led in joint-most matches (129) in the IPL along with Rohit Sharma. He has won 71 matches as captain, the third-most after MS Dhoni (121) and Rohit (75). Gambhir helped KKR win the IPL in 2012 and 2014. In his IPL career that spanned a decade, he scored 4,217 runs (10th-most) from 154 matches at an average of 31.23.
Andy Flower was appointed Lucknow franchise's head coach
The Lucknow franchise was bought by Goenka's RPSG Group for Rs. 7,090 crore in October this year. Former Zimbabwe captain Andy Flower will coach the side in the upcoming season. Flower served as the assistant coach at Punjab Kings for two seasons (2020-21). He earlier served in various coaching roles with the ECB. Under him, England became the number one Test side in 2011.
