Lucknow Super Giants mentor Gautam Gambhir said that the captain KL Rahul should take calculated risks to succeed in the upcoming season of the IPL. The season will start on March 26 and Lucknow Super Giants will play their season opener against Gujarat Titans on March 28 in Wankhede Stadium.
The anticipation for the IPL is running high amongst fans as the season is scheduled to start on March 26. The tournament will feature ten teams with the addition of two new entrants in the form of Lucknow Super Giants and Gujarat Titans. LSG will start their campaign on March 28 against Gujarat Titans with them set to be led by KL Rahul and they have also roped in Gautam Gambhir as the mentor ahead of the season.
Ahead of the season, Gambhir has opined that Rahul should take calculated risks to succeed in the tournament.
“Any captain should learn to take risks. I would want Rahul to take risks and, unless you take calculated risks, you won’t know if you would succeed or not. Also, this time, Quinton de Kock will be our wicketkeeper, so with no keeping duties, he can be free and relaxed, concentrate on his batting and leadership,” Gambhir said, reported PTI.
“Ultimately, it is the leader who is the flag-bearer of a team and so it’s Rahul who will lead Lucknow Supergiants on and off the field. For me, it is important to have KL Rahul the batter, who is also the captain of the team, rather than KL Rahul, the captain, who also bats. I hope I am able to make you understand the difference.”
Several players caught the attention of the world with their performances in the IPL. However, Gambhir has said that there is no guarantee of KL Rahul becoming the India captain after playing in IPL.
“Know one thing. There is a difference between being talked up as a future India captain and ultimately being appointed India captain,” he stated,
“I have never believed that you should play IPL, looking at the national team. IPL is a platform to express one’s self. One can grow as a leader but there are no guarantees that there is a time period that IPL will help you become India captain,” Gambhir added
Lucknow have a good set of all-rounders in their squad. The team bought Jason Holder, Krunal Pandya, Deepak Hooda in the mega auction and Gambhir revealed the reason behind going for all-rounders in the mega auction.
“When we were preparing the strategy for our team, we wanted more all-rounders and we got our chairman Dr. Sanjiv Goenka’s approval. I am honoured that he has given me so much respect and at times I wonder whether I deserve so much praise from him,” he said. “It always helps to have multi-dimensional cricketers as they give you more options. It’s always good to have batters who can chip in in two or three overs,” he explained.