"The best auction does not necessarily mean that you will perform the best on the field as well" - LSG mentor Gautam Gambhir
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) mentor Gautam Gambhir shared his thoughts surrounding the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) mini-auction.
The Lucknow-based franchise finished fourth in their inaugural season under KL Rahul and move into the auction with a purse of ₹10.35 crore with 10 slots remaining to fill.
LSG have released the likes of Manish Pandey, Andrew Tye, Ankit Rajpoot, Dushmantha Chameera, Evin Lewis, Jason Holder, and Shahbaz Nadeem. The franchise will be looking for a refurbished pace attack as well as a potential middle-order batter as a priority.
Opining that the work done at the auction table marks only half of the task, with the rest being up to the players who ultimately represent the franchise on the field, Gambhir said in a video released by LSG on social media:
"If we get the players we want, and I hope it will be a success for us. Ultimately, the auction is only 50 percent of what we can do on the auction table, the rest is upto how the players perform on the cricket field."
He continued:
"I always feel that the auction is only 50 percent of the job. The best auction does not necessarily mean that you will perform best on the field as well, because IPL is that kind of a platform where all teams are equally balanced. It all boils down to the players, how they perform on the cricket field, but the auction is an important part in terms of preparing the team."
The rest of the LSG coaching staff constitutes Andy Flower, Vijay Dahiya, Andy Bichel, and Richard Halsall, who are expected to be present at the auction table, physically or virtually.
"The auction strategy is to always look to strengthen the squad" - Gautam Gambhir
The former IPL-winning captain was a key figure in the LSG dressing room and was constantly seen rallying the troops both on and off the pitch last season.
Noting that the purpose behind releasing certain players is to replace them with better options and bolster the squad depth, Gambhir said:
"The auction strategy is to always look to strengthen the squad. We have released a few players before the auction because we think that there are better players available that will increase the depth of the side."
Gambhir concluded by saying:
"The IPL is a two-month-long tournament, so the better depth you have, the better your chances will be."
The IPL 2023 mini-auction takes place on Friday, December 23, in Kochi.
Will LSG be able to claim a hold on their desired players at the auction table? Let us know what you think.
Also Read: "Cross your fingers; it's a little bit like that" - Stephen Fleming on CSK's plans for IPL 2023 mini-auction