WATCH: “IPL is like the Olympic Games,” Justin Langer excited to join Lucknow Super Giants as coach

Justin Langer's CV as a coach is quite impressive.

Former Australia opener Justin Langer, who was recently appointed head coach of the Lucknow Super Giants, has said that the IPL is like the Olympic Games and every single game is a spectacle.

Ahead of the IPL 2024 season, LSG moved away from the team management that included Andy Flower and Gautam Gambhir, and roped in Langer, whose CV as a coach is quite impressive.

Langer, who has guided Australia to the T20 World Cup title as a coach, revealed that he has had a lot of chat about the IPL with his former Aussie teammates Ricky Ponting and Tom Moody.

"Having sat with Ricky for so long and he talked about his time with the Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals. How much he loves the tournament. And Tom Moody, one of my best friends, he's been so involved in the IPL and just to hear them talking about it," Langer said on a video uploaded by LSG on X.

"The IPL is like the Olympic Games. It is so big. Every game is a spectacle, it is so well received, it is so well supported, not just at the stadiums, all through India and around the world. To have the opportunity to be a part of that is something I am very, very excited about," he further added.

During the IPL 2024 Auction in Dubai earlier this month, LSG bought six players. Pacer Shivam Mavi was the most expensive purchase for INR 6.4 crore. Arshad Khan of Madhya Pradesh was the other fast bowler added to the squad for INR 20 lakh. Manimaran Siddharth, who was bought for INR 2.4 Crore will add to the team’s spin bowling department.

The fourth Indian player LSG picked at the auction was all-rounder Arshin Kulkarni, who was purchased at his base price of INR 20 lakh

LSG had two excellent overseas signings in Australia’s Ashton Turner (INR 1 Crore) and England’s David Wiley (INR 2 Crore), who was a part of the squad that won the T20 World Cup in 2022.

LSG Squad for IPL 2024:

KL Rahul (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Kyle Mayers, Devdutt Padikkal. Nicholas Pooran (wk), Ayush Badoni, Deepak Hooda, Ashton Turner, K Gowtham, Krunal Pandya, Marcus Stoinis, Prerak Mankad, Arshin Kulkarni, David Willey, Mohsin Khan, Mark Wood, Yash Thakur, Naveen-ul-Haq, Mayank Yadav, Yudhvir Singh, Shivam Mavi, Arshad Khan, Ravi Bishnoi, Amit Mishra, M Siddharth