In a significant development on the Indian Premier League (IPL) front, former India opener Gautam Gambhir is likely to be not part of the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) backroom staff for the 2024 season.

According to a report published in CricketNext, Gambhir is not parting ways with LSG but rather taking a break to concentrate on his political commitments in an important election year.

“Yes, Gautam Gambhir is likely to just take a break for the next IPL to political commitments. He is not moving to a different team or leaving franchises. There will be a lot of political work involved in the build-up to the Lok Sabha elections, so he wants to focus all his energies towards that,” a source told CricketNext.

Gambhir, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from East Delhi, is a prominent figure in Delhi politics. He is likely to play a significant role in the campaign for general elections that will take place between the months of April and May next year.

“Gautam is a big face for BJP in Delhi and elsewhere also his popularity is right up there. So he will be actively involved in election work next year and will not have enough time for the IPL 2024,” the source added.

While Gautam Gambhir is yet to clear the air regarding this matter, the Lucknow-based franchise recently roped in former India chief selector MSK Prasad as strategic consultant.

Last month, LSG parted ways with Andy Flower and appointed Justin Langer as their new head coach.

(With CricketNext Inputs)