IPL 2022 Auction: 3 players Lucknow could target on Gautam Gambhir's advice
With the IPL 2022 Auction being a few weeks away, the two new franchises - Lucknow and Ahmedabad - will have to announce their list of draft picks soon. Upon making their three picks, the two teams will form their squads around the three names at the IPL 2022 Auction.
The Lucknow franchise has made three major recruitments ahead of the IPL 2022 Auction. It has named Andy Flower as its head coach, Vijay Dahiya as assistant coach and Gautam Gambhir as its mentor. Gambhir is the only one of the three names to have played in the IPL.
The former Indian batter achieved a lot of success in the league. He won two IPL trophies as the captain of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and also led the Delhi-based franchise.
Quite a few players came into the limelight while playing under Gautam Gambhir's captaincy. Some have been retained by their respective franchises ahead of the IPL 2022 Auction, while others have been released.
On that note, we will look at the three players who performed well under Gambhir in the IPL and could be signed by the Lucknow franchise at the IPL 2022 Auction.
#1 Manish Pandey
Manish Pandey was one of the top performers for the Kolkata Knight Riders team when Gautam Gambhir led the squad. The right-handed batter joined the Kolkata-based franchise in 2014, playing 52 innings for the team.
Pandey aggregated 1,270 runs at an average of 31.75 for the Kolkata Knight Riders. Most importantly, he played a match-winning knock of 94 runs for the team in the IPL 2014 Final that helped Gautam Gambhir win his second championship as KKR skipper.
Lucknow will need a reliable Indian middle-order batter in the team. It should not be a surprise if Gautam Gambhir suggests they go for Manish Pandey at the IPL 2022 Auction.
#2 Kuldeep Yadav
Kuldeep Yadav made his IPL debut for the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2016. He played two seasons under Gautam Gambhir and returned with 18 wickets in 15 matches.
The Kolkata Knight Riders retained Yadav even after Gambhir left but he was not a regular fixture in the playing XI. Overall, the left-arm wrist-spinner played 45 matches for the Knight Riders, picking up 40 wickets, including one four-wicket haul.
Lucknow could sign Kuldeep to bolster their spin attack ahead of IPL 2022. Since Gautam Gambhir followed him closely at KKR, he could suggest Kuldeep's name to the team management.
#3 Umesh Yadav
Indian fast bowler Umesh Yadav warmed the benches at the Delhi Capitals during the entire IPL 2021 season. The 34-year-old is back in the auction pool ahead of IPL 2022, and he could reunite with Gautam Gambhir at the Lucknow franchise.
Umesh played 47 matches for the Kolkata Knight Riders under Gambhir's captaincy, picking up 48 wickets. He has played for three franchises in the IPL, and his best performances came while donning the KKR jersey.
Yadav could be a match-winner in white-ball cricket if backed by the team management. It would be interesting to see if Lucknow sign him for IPL 2022.