Owner of the Lucknow Super Giants, Sanjiv Goenka, revealed on Wednesday that former Indian fast-bowling great Zaheer Khan will take on the role of team mentor. In the previous IPL season, the Super Giants came very close to missing out on a post-season berth, and their campaign ended in disarray due to rumors of a falling out between captain KL Rahul and Sanjiv Goenka. Rumors of internal strife were stoked by an on-field talk between the two, during which Goenka seemed clearly irritated following a loss.
While KL Rahul’s future with the team is still up in the air, there has been a lot of speculation in recent weeks around possible retentions and the next big auction. India’s T20 World Cup-winning skipper Rohit Sharma is another well-known figure connected to a move. The veteran Mumbai Indians player had a turbulent few months leading up to the IPL, as MI controversially appointed Hardik Pandya as captain in his place. There was a great deal of opposition to the decision at the stadiums and on social media.
One particularly shocking report that went around suggesting that the Lucknow Super Giants had put aside INR 50 crore in budget to recruit Rohit was one of the many rumors that were circulating. The rumor attracted a lot of attention because it was thought to be ridiculous. In an interview with SportsTak, Goenka was asked about it and couldn’t help but laugh at the idea.
Goenka made it clear that setting aside such a large quantity of money for a single player was unrealistic, especially given the franchise’s focus on developing a competitive squad from the ground up, even if he acknowledged that any team would benefit from having a player and captain of Rohit Sharma’s caliber.
“Do you even know if Rohit Sharma is entering the auction? This is all unnecessary. It all depends on whether Mumbai Indians release Rohit Sharma or not. And even if Rohit comes to auction… if you put 50 percent of your purse on one player, how will you buy other play?” Goenka said.
“Everyone wishes to have the best captain and best players. It’s not about wanting. It all depends on what you have, and what is available, and what all you can do with it. Everyone franchise will have the same desire.”
In the midst of rumors regarding Rahul’s future with the squad, the LSG owner discussed his relationship with the player and referred to him as “an integral part of the franchise”. Goenka, though, said nothing about holding onto players or selecting a captain for the upcoming IPL season.
“Look, I’ve been meeting KL regularly over the last three years. I’m a little surprised this meeting got so much attention. As I’ve said we have not taken any call till the retention rules are out,” Goenka told reporters while unveiling Zaheer Khan as their team mentor.
“But KL has been an integral and important part of the LSG family since inception. He’s played a very important role. He’s like family and will be family.”
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