Sanjiv Goenka says Lucknow franchise wishes to follow the Mumbai Indians “template”
Taking their first steps as an Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise, the RPSG Group-owned Lucknow-based side wishes to follow the “template” that the mighty successful Mumbai Indians (MI) have followed over the years, said the team owner Sanjiv Goenka.
Goenka said there are no rules or regulations decided on how they would like to take things forward but the five-time winners MI are the “biggest inspiration” for him when it comes to the team-building exercise and laying the foundation for multiple IPL trophies.
The RPSG bought the yet unnamed Lucknow franchise for a whopping sum of INR 7,090 crores earlier this year for the next 10 years, becoming one of the two new teams – along with Ahmedabad franchise – to enter the IPL’s fold for what will be an expanded 10-team competition from next year.
“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,” said Sanjiv Goenka in an interview with the Times of India.
Sanjiv Goenka’s Lucknow based side is one of the two new franchises set to enter IPL from 2022.
Gautam Gambhir to create “blueprint” for Lucknow’s success: Sanjiv Goenka
The Lucknow franchise has already taken the right step forward towards IPL 2022 with two major signings for their support staff. The Sanjiv Goenka owned side named Zimbabwean batting great Andy Flower as the head coach on Friday (December 17), before also roping in former India opener Gautam Gambhir as the team mentor.
Having previously talked up the benefits of Flower’s appointment, Goenka spoke glowingly over Gambhir’s inclusion, backing the Indian World Cup winner and two-time IPL winning captain to “create a blueprint” for his team’s 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,” Sanjiv Goenka said.
“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,” he added.
The Lucknow franchise is also reportedly set to announce a few major player signings ahead of the mega auction for IPL 2022. With the two new teams allowed to pre-sign a set of three players from the pool of released cricketers, Lucknow is hoping to finalise the likes of KL Rahul and Rashid Khan in their squad. Rahul, who parted ways with Punjab Kings (PBKS), is being seen as a captaincy candidate by both the two new IPL franchises.