IPL 2022: Sanjiv Goenka To Take Inspiration From Mumbai Indians On Building Lucknow Squad

The chairman of the RPSG Group, Sanjiv Goenka, has stated that he doesn’t have any system in mind for Lucknow but intends to implicate the success model of the 5-time IPL champions, Mumbai Indians (MI).

Goenka-led RPSG bought the Lucknow franchise for a whopping 7090 crores in the closed auction. They have signed Andy Flower as the head coach and former two-time IPL winning captain, Gautam Gambhir, as the mentor. Going forward, Goenka hopes to follow in the footsteps of MI.

“I have to follow the system [mega auctions]. I have no role in the rules and regulations [of the IPL]. That said, the biggest inspiration for me is Mumbai Indians. What they have achieved, and how they have gone about it, is a template for not only other IPL teams but sports franchises worldwide,” he said in a conversation with TOI.

“Gambhir will help create a blueprint for the franchise” – Sanjiv Goenka

Sanjiv Goenka also indicated that Gambhir will be involved in a lot of the processes, right from building a team at the auction to planning for the future. Having worked wonders for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Gambhir would be the right man to turn to for cricketing success.

“Gautam will primarily have a motivational role to play. He will also help to create a blueprint for the franchise in the long term. We wanted to have people with a proven track record of success.”

“Gautam has also successfully groomed a generation of youngsters for KKR and that went in his favour. He has an image of being a totally non-partisan leader with a focus on results. Look at what he did for KKR. Fundamentally we would like the dressing room to be geared towards a culture of performance,” Goenka added.

The Lucknow franchise is also reportedly keen on buying KL Rahul before the IPL 2022 mega auction begins.

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