The Lucknow franchise have drafted in KL Rahul, Marcus Stoinis and Ravi Bishnoi ahead of the IPL 2022 Mega Auction, with Rahul being reportedly paid Rs 15 crore.
Follow Us
There are big developments in IPL 2022 ahead of the mega-auction. After Ahmedabad reportedly announced that Hardik Pandya, Rashid Khan, and Shubman Gill will be drafted into the team, Lucknow has also made the move. According to a report in ESPNCricinfo, KL Rahul, Marcus Stoinis and Ravi Bishnoi have been drafted into the Lucknow side. KL Rahul will be the captain of the side and he will be paid Rs 15 crore. Stoinis, who was released by the Delhi Capitals, has been purchased for Rs 11 crore. Ravi Bishnoi, who impressed for Punjab Kings, has been picked for Rs 4 crore.
Lucknow and Ahmedabad franchises are under certain restrictions. Most of the teams can retain four players which include two overseas slots. Lucknow and Ahmedabad, on the other hand, can pick only three players with only one overseas slot. With Rs 30 crore spent, both Lucknow and Ahmedabad enter the mega-auction with Rs 60 crore.
KL Rahul has been playing the IPL since 2013. In 2016, Rahul scored 344 runs in a team that saw Virat Kohli smash 973 runs. But, when KL Rahul moved to Punjab Kings in 2018, his form was simply brilliant. Between 2018 and 2021, Rahul scored 659, 593, 670, and 626 runs respectively. This also included two hundreds, including his highest of 132 against Royal Challengers Bangalore in Dubai.
Read – Ben Stokes opts out IPL 2022 along with Joe Root
Stoinis, on the other hand, was one of the key reasons why Delhi Capitals reached the final of IPL 20202. His all-round exploits with both bat and ball gave Delhi Capitals immense depth. Ravi Bishnoi, who helped India reach the final of the 2020 Under-19 World Cup, also impressed in the IPL for Punjab Kings. His economy rate so far has been 6.95, which would make him an asset for any team.
Ahmedabad and Lucknow are expected to formally make the announcement on January 22, 2022. The delay happened because the BCCI wanted to check on CVC Capital, the firm that owns the Ahmedabad franchise for off-shore betting links. Once that was clear, BCCI issued the Letter of Intent to CVC Capital.
Punjab Kings had expressed disappointment that KL Rahul could not stay with the franchise for a longer period of time. Under his captaincy, Punjab Kings failed to make it to the playoff stages from 2018 till 2021. In the last two editions, they have consistently stumbled at the playoff race, especially for the fourth spot.
Rishabh Pant's explosive last-over blitz ignites IPL 2024 amid T20 World Cup comeback talks
