NEW DELHI:
Sanjiv Goenka
, owner of the
Lucknow Super Giants
(LSG), has announced the appointment of former Indian fast-bowling legend
Zaheer Khan
as the team's new mentor on Wednesday. This comes amid speculation about LSG's strategy for the upcoming
IPL mega auction
and the future of high-profile players.
The move to hire Zaheer Khan arrives at a critical time for LSG, with uncertainties around the status of
KL Rahul
.
Additionally, rumors have surfaced about LSG's potential acquisition of
Rohit Sharma
, India’s T20 World Cup-winning captain and a key figure of the
Mumbai Indians
(MI). Rohit's position with MI has been questioned following the franchise's controversial decision to replace him as captain with
Hardik Pandya
, causing significant backlash among fans.
A particularly sensational report suggested that LSG had reserved a staggering Rs 50 crore to secure Rohit Sharma, should he become available in the auction. When asked about this speculation during an interview with SportsTak, Sanjiv Goenka was quick to dismiss the idea as unfounded and impractical.
"Do you even know if Rohit Sharma is entering the auction? This is all unnecessary. It all depends on whether Mumbai Indians release Rohit Sharma or not. And even if Rohit comes to auction... if you put 50 per cent of your purse on one player, how will you buy other players?" Goenka responded with a chuckle.
"Everyone wishes to have the best captain and best players. It's not about wanting. It all depends on what you have, what is available, and what all you can do with it. Every franchise will have the same desire," he continued.
Goenka emphasized that while acquiring a player of Rohit Sharma's caliber would be an asset for any team, allocating such a significant portion of the franchise's budget to a single player would not be feasible. He reiterated that LSG's primary focus remains on building a balanced and competitive squad.
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