IPL 2022: KL Rahul Has Everything It Takes To Succeed As The Captain - Sanjiv Goenka

The owner of the Lucknow franchise in the IPL, Sanjiv Goenka, has heaped praise on the franchise’s to-be captain, KL Rahul, stating that he is maturing as a player and can be a phenomenal leader in the league.

Rahul was signed by Lucknow for INR 17 cr fee, making him the joint-record holder for the most-paid player in the IPL, tied with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) player, Virat Kohli. Speaking about Rahul’s signing, Goenka mentioned the 29-year-old was always his choice.

“Yes, KL will be the captain. I have been very impressed not only by KL’s batting and wicketkeeping abilities but also his leadership skills. He is evolving, he is growing, he is maturing as a player, as a leader, and he is somebody I would’ve wanted to lead the team.“

“And I do believe, given the right atmosphere, given the right environment, he will emerge as a phenomenal leader, and he has everything it takes to succeed,” Goenka told on Star Sports’ show, ‘IPL Selection Day’.

Sanjiv Goenka’s thoughts on the three draft picks

Ahead of the IPL 2022 mega auction, Lucknow opted to bring Rahul, Marcus Stoinis (INR 9.2 cr), and Ravi Bishnoi (INR 4 cr) on board. They have a remaining purse of INR 59.89 cr when the auction takes place on February 12 & 13.

“There were multiple things. We were looking at not only building a team for one or two seasons, as we did in the case of Pune but actually, building the foundation for a team, which will compete successfully for many years. We were also looking for players with more than one facet, so not singular-dimension players.“

“Marcus is a great finisher, a good bowler, and a phenomenal fielder. Ravi brings a unique dimension to the spin department and is an exceptional fielder. So we looked for players who could do more than just one thing; players who would be with the franchise for several years,” Goenka added.

Apart from Lucknow, Ahmedabad also finalised its draft picks as they signed Hardik Pandya, Rashid Khan, and Shubman Gill.

Also Read – IPL 2022: BCCI Releases Compartmentalised List Of Cricketers Entering Mega Auction Pool