"If Quinton de Kock sees this pitch, he might not come to play IPL"- Gautam Gambhir comments on Lucknow wicket
Gautam Gambhir had a hilarious take on the spin-friendly pitch at Lucknow's Shree Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Stadium. The former Indian opener opined that if South African wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock sees the wicket, he might not come to India to play in IPL 2023.
Gambhir is also the mentor of the Lucknow-based IPL team, Lucknow Super Giants. De Kock is a key member of the team and their designated opener.
The second T20I of the India vs. New Zealand series took place at the above-mentioned venue earlier on Sunday. Unlike a majority of the pitches in India, the wicket at the stadium in Lucknow did not produce a high-scoring T20I match.
Spinners ruled the roost as New Zealand almost defended a target of 100 runs. The economy rate of every spinner was six or less. Gautam Gambhir was a part of the Star Sports Hindi commentary panel for the match. During the second innings, Gambhir jokingly commented on air:
"If Quinton de Kock sees this pitch, (it is possible that) he might not come to play IPL."
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Mohammad Kaif was also a part of the Hindi commentary panel. He chimed in with the following comment:
"No, no he will come to play. He will come to play IPL."
Amit Mishra can contribute a lot for Lucknow Super Giants this season: Gautam Gambhir
LSG made some smart picks at this season's IPL Auction. They roped in veteran Indian leg-spinner Amit Mishra for the 2023 season. Gautam Gambhir spoke about the prospects of Mishra in the IPL.
"Amit Mishra can contribute a lot for Lucknow Super Giants this season," Gambhir commented.
Mohammad Kaif added that LSG also have a young talent in Ravi Bishnoi, who can also exploit the conditions at this venue.
"I have understood Lucknow's strategy though. They will play with a young leggie in Bishnoi and a veteran in Amit Mishra."
First time in history both the teams hit no sixes in a T20i match in India.
It will be interesting to see how LSG perform when they host other teams at this stadium. Fans should expect a few low-scoring games in Lucknow during IPL 2023.