"We did not have an analyst or research team, it was all Gautam Gambhir's team" - LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka hails former mentor’s role in building team

LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka has acknowledged the significant role former mentor Gautam Gambhir played in laying the foundation of the team. Goenka recalled that Gambhir did everything from analysis to research and built the Lucknow Super Giants.

LSG were one of two franchises that made their debut in the IPL in 2022 - Gujarat Titans being the other. Gambhir was appointed as a mentor of the Lucknow franchise and continued the role for the 2023 season before moving to Kolkata Knight Riders.

In an interaction with Sports Tak, Goenka lavished praise on the former India opener for the key role he played in building the foundation of the franchise. Goenka said (as quoted by Hindustan Times):

"Gautam has played a significant role in building the side's foundation. If you consider our first auction successful, it is only because of Gautam. We got the franchise barely two weeks before the auctions. We did not have an analyst or a research team. It was all Gautam Gambhir's team. He did everything and put together a very balanced team.

"Everyone has specific roles, and Gautam played his part exceptionally well," the Lucknow Super Giants owner added.

LSG reached the playoffs in 2022 and 2023, when Gambhir was the franchise's mentor. In his absence, the KL Rahul-led side finished a disappointing seventh in IPL 2024. Incidentally, with Gambhir as mentor, Kolkata Knight Riders won the IPL 2024 edition, beating Sunrisers Hyderabad in the final.

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LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka addresses equation with Rahul

While Lucknow Super Giants struggled to make an impact in IPL 2024, a clip of Goenka having an animated chat with Rahul also went viral, raising questions about the equation between the two.

At a press conference on Wednesday, Goenka dismissed claims of any issues between the two as he said:

"I have been meeting KL on and off regularly over the last three years. Frankly I am surprised this meeting is getting a lot of attention [in the media]. He is integral (to LSG).

"He has been here since the inception. For me personally and for (my son) Shashwat Goenka, (who is also involved in running LSG), he is like family."

Goenka, though, refused to confirm whether Rahul would be retained by the Lucknow franchise ahead of the mega auction, saying that there's still time for a decision on it.

Meanwhile, Lucknow Super Giants confirmed Zaheer Khan as their new mentor through posts on social media on Wednesday.