Former India opener Gautam Gambhir has the experience of building a team in the Indian Premier League (IPL), having led the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to two titles in seven seasons.
Ahead of the IPL 2022 edition, Gambhir has been roped in by the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) as a team mentor and he will be among the main brains behind the newly-formed franchise’s tactics in the high-octane tournament.
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With only a few days to go for the upcoming IPL season, Gambhir said LSG will need KL Rahul the batter who also leads the team instead of the captain who also bats to do well in the cash-rich event.
"Ultimately, it is the leader who is the flag-bearer of a team and so it's Rahul who will lead Lucknow Super Giants on and off the field. For me, it is important to have KL Rahul the batter, who is also the captain of the team rather than KL Rahul, the captain, who also bats. I hope I am able to make you understand the difference," he told PTI during an exclusive interaction.
Gambhir wants to see a fearless Rahul during the competition and the Lucknow skipper will get "all the freedom".
"Any captain should learn to take risks. I would want Rahul to take risks and unless you take calculated risks, you won't know if you would succeed or not. Also this time, Quinton de Kock will be our wicketkeeper, so with no keeping duties, he can be free and relaxed, concentrating on his batting and leadership," he said.
When asked if Rahul could feel the pressure of trying to prove his leadership qualities since he is being touted as a future India captain, Gambhir said: "Know one thing. There is a difference between being talked up as a future India captain and ultimately being appointed India captain."
"I have never believed that you should play IPL looking at national team. IPL is a platform to express one's self. One can grow as a leader but there are no guarantees that there is a time period that IPL will help you become India captain," he added.
Deepak Hooda and Krunal Pandya have had an ugly history when they played domestic cricket for Baroda with the former accusing the latter of bullying him and ultimately leaving the state. Now with both players in the set-up, Gambhir said that he has had no problems handling the duo.
"Look, you don't have to be best friends off the field to perform on it. They are professionals and they know that they have a job to do. You don't have to go out for dinner every night if you are playing in the same team. I have not been friends with everyone in every team that I have played in.
"But that hasn't stopped me from giving my best when I am out there on the field. These are matured people and they know there are here to win matches for Lucknow," he said.
During the IPL 2022 mega-auction last month, Lucknow Super Giants secured the services of Krunal Pandya and Deepak Hooda.
Both the all-round cricketers were involved in an ugly spat last year during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy after which Hooda stepped out of the Baroda bio-bubble and he is now part of Rajasthan's domestic cricket team.
Now with both players featuring in the Lucknow squad, Gambhir said he has had no problems handling the duo.
"Look, you don't have to be best friends off the field to perform on it. They are professionals and they know that they have a job to do. You don't have to go out for dinner every night if you are playing in the same team. I have not been friends with everyone in every team that I have played in.
"But that hasn't stopped me from giving my best when I am out there on the field. These are matured people and they know there are here to win matches for Lucknow," he said.
(With PTI inputs)
