"KL Rahul is a terrific player, but has not achieved much as captain" - Harbhajan Singh
Former India bowler Harbhajan Singh feels captaining the Lucknow Super Giants could be a huge challenge for KL Rahul. The 29-year-old failed to lead the Punjab Kings into the playoffs after captaining the team across three editions.
The newly-appointed vice-captain of Team India endured a rough start during the tour of South Africa. Despite a whitewash in the ODI series under his leadership, Rahul was appointed captain of the Super Giants.
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Speaking on his YouTube channel, Singh said about Rahul:
"KL Rahul is a terrific player, but has not achieved much as captain, whether it be captaining Punjab Kings or even Team India in South Africa. Captaining Lucknow will be challenging, with a new team altogether."
Apart from Rahul, the Lucknow Super Giants have roped in Marcus Stoinis and Ravi Bishnoi ahead of the mega auction. The franchise have Rs 59 crore left in their purse to assemble the rest of the squad around their captain.
"I don't think there is a better captain than Dhoni in the IPL or even world cricket" - Harbhajan Singh
Speaking of the importance of having a good captain in the team, Harbhajan Singh enlisted Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni as examples. The duo have carved their niche by dominating the IPL, claiming nine trophies between them.
The former bowler also noted that Hardik Pandya could have a task in hand to find the balance between guiding the team and maintaining his form. Harbhajan Singh added in this regard:
"If a franchise wants to build a good team, then having a good captain is important. Like Rohit Sharma, who is the most successful captain in the league. MS Dhoni has an unbelievable record. I don't think there is a better captain than him in the IPL or even world cricket in the recent past. "
Singh concluded:
"Pandya will be captain for the first time, that would be interesting to see. It will be challenging for him to take the team forward and improve his own performance."
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How crucial will he be for the advancement of the Ahmedabad Team in IPL 2022? 🤔
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Hardik Pandya was roped in by the Ahmedabad Titans as the number one pick in the player draft. The all-rounder was given the responsibility of captaincy as well.
The IPL 2022 mega auction is scheduled to take place in Bengaluru on February 12 and 13. A total of 590 players will go under the hammer as the ten franchises look to build their teams till the next auction.