LSG owner dismisses Rs. 50 crore rumor for Rohit Sharma
What's the story
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) owner Sanjiv Goenka has dismissed rumors of setting aside a whopping Rs. 50 crore to secure the services of Rohit Sharma. The speculation was fueled by recent reports suggesting a fallout between Goenka and team captain KL Rahul. However, in an interview with SportsTak, Goenka laughed off these claims as unrealistic, especially given the franchise's current focus on building a competitive team from scratch.
Player acquisition
Goenka acknowledges Sharma's potential but questions feasibility
Goenka acknowledged that any team would benefit from having a captain and player of Rohit Sharma's caliber. However, he questioned the feasibility of such a move. "Do you even know if Rohit Sharma is entering the auction? This is all unnecessary," Goenka said. He further added that it all depends on whether Mumbai Indians release Rohit or not, and even if they do, allocating half of their budget for one player would limit their ability to acquire other players.
Team dynamics
Goenka addresses rumors about Rahul's future with LSG
Amid speculation about Rahul's future with LSG, Goenka described him as "an integral part of the franchise." However, he remained non-committal on player retention and captaincy for the upcoming IPL season. "Look, I've been meeting KL regularly over last three years. I'm a little surprised this meeting got so much attention," Goenka said during an interview while introducing Zaheer Khan as their team mentor.
Auction speculation
Bangar discusses potential bidding for Sharma by PBKS
Sanjay Bangar, former batting coach of the Indian cricket team, also discussed the possibility of Punjab Kings (PBKS) bidding for Rohit Sharma on The Rao Podcast (TRP). Bangar stated that things would depend on the player retention rule, which is still under consideration. He also suggested that if Rohit enters the auction, he is likely to fetch a very high price.