IPL 2022: "Privilege to be in the contest again" - Gautam Gambhir after being named Lucknow mentor

Former India batter Gautam Gambhir has reacted after being named as the mentor of the Lucknow franchise ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 season. Sharing a post on Twitter, Gambhir said that the desire to leave a winner’s legacy still inspires him.

On Saturday, RPSG Group chairman Sanjiv Goenka, who is the owner of the yet-to-be-named franchise, welcomed Gambhir’s inclusion as mentor. Praising the World Cup-winning cricketer, he said:

“Gautam has an impeccable career record. I respect his cricketing mind and look forward to working with him.”

Reacting to the development, Gambhir said that he is privileged to be associated with the game again as a guiding light. His tweet read:

“It’s a privilege to be in the contest again. Thanks Dr. Goenka for incl me in #LucknowIPLTeam as its mentor. The fire to win still burns bright inside me, the desire to leave a winner’s legacy still kicks me. I won’t be contesting for a dressing room but for the spirit & soul of UP.”

Gambhir led the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to two IPL triumphs - 2012 and 2014. In his overall IPL career, he played 154 matches and scored 4217 runs at a strike rate of 123.88.

Lucknow and Ahmedabad were chosen as the two new IPL franchises ahead of the 2022 edition, making the T20 league a 10-team contest. The window for the two franchises to pick three players ahead of the mega auction began on December 1 and will end on December 25.

Last month, the eight existing IPL franchises announced their retention lists ahead of the mega auction. A total of 27 players were picked by the eight teams.

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Andy Flower to coach the Lucknow franchise in IPL

Ahead of Gambhir’s appointment as mentor, the Lucknow franchise named former Zimbabwe captain Andy Flower as their head coach. Flower has coached England in the past and his tenure is viewed as a reasonably successful one.

In a statement after being named head coach of the Lucknow franchise in the IPL, Flower said:

"I am incredibly excited to be joining the new Lucknow franchise and I am very grateful for the opportunity. Since my very first tour to India in 1993, I have always loved touring, playing and coaching in India. The passion for cricket in India is unrivalled and it is a real privilege to lead an IPL franchise.”

According to unconfirmed reports, KL Rahul is likely to be named captain of the Lucknow franchise.