Newly-formed Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) recently shared a throwback photo featuring two of their star recruits ahead of their debut season - team captain KL Rahul and experienced batter Manish Pandey. Taking to Twitter, LSG shared an old image of the duo showing both of them holding each other with one arm and raising the other arm up. "Ye un dinon ki baat hai (this is a story from those days)," wrote LSG in the text accompanying the photo, in reference to a popular Hindi song by the same name.
Both Pandey and Rahul have been long-standing teammates in the Karnataka state team and have also played for India together.
LSG picked up Pandey for Rs 4.60 crore during the IPL mega auction earlier this month.
Earlier, Rahul was named as captain of the Lucknow franchise during the player drafts ahead of the IPL 2022 mega auction. Rahul was picked by LSG for a figure of Rs 17 crore.
Sanjiv Goenka, the owner of LSG, earlier said that Rahul will emerge as a phenomenal leader and he has everything required to succeed at the big stage.
"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.
The new season of the IPL is set to begin in April.