Sanjiv Goenka, the owner of the Lucknow franchise in the Indian Premier League (IPL), has said that KL Rahul will emerge as a phenomenal leader and he has everything required to succeed at the big stage. Lucknow has opted to go with KL Rahul (Rs 17 crore), Marcus Stoinis (Rs 9.2 crore), and Ravi Bishnoi (Rs 4 crore) for IPL 2022. KL Rahul will don the captaincy hat. Andy Flower has already been named the coach of the Lucknow franchise while former India batter Gautam Gambhir will serve as the mentor of the franchise.
"Yes, KL will be the captain. I have been very impressed by KL's not only batting and wicketkeeping abilities but 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," said Goenka on Star Sports' show 'IPL Selection Day'.
"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," he added.
Talking about the three draft picks for IPL 2022, Goenka said: "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. So, KL is not only an outstanding batsman, he's a great wicketkeeper."
"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 - three, four, five, six, seven, eight years. And KL is in the batting department, Marcus is an all-rounder and Ravi is a bowler, so we have tried to cover all the three departments," he added.
IPL's two new teams -- Sanjiv Goenka RPSG Group for the Lucknow franchise and CVC Capital's Ahmedabad team had received formal clearance from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The formal clearance was given after a meeting of the IPL Governing Council.
IPL chairman Brijesh Patel had also confirmed that the IPL auction would be held in Bengaluru on February 12 and 13. "Yes, the auction will be held in Bengaluru on February 12 and 13," said Patel.