Sunil Gavaskar praised Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) mentor Gautam Gambhir for his contributions to the team’s success. Mumbai Indians eliminated the Lucknow-based team after thumping them by 82 runs in the Eliminator match.
Gavaskar credited Gambhir for nurturing young players and shaping the future of Indian cricket. He highlighted the progress of Rinku Singh, Venkatesh Iyer, Varun Chakravarthy, and Nitish Rana under KKR’s Chandu Pandit, and even praised Gambhir’s guidance for Ravi Bishnoi, Ayush Badoni, and Naveen-Ul-Haq. Gavaskar also mentioned Ashish Nehra and Hardik Pandya’s contributions in finding new match-winners.
Gavaskar stated that domestic Indian players benefit from easy communication and reach within these teams. While overseas champions can act as mentors, they are exceptions rather than the norm. Gambhir, a two-time IPL winner, was appointed as the global mentor for all Lucknow Super Giants teams and has been instrumental in their IPL and SA20 campaigns. He is also an integral part of LSG’s think-tank during the IPL auction.
Despite controversies, including an altercation with Virat Kohli, Gambhir’s passion as a mentor was evident. The incident resulted in fines for both players and penalties for LSG’s Naveen.