IPL's Lucknow franchise appoints Gautam Gambhir as team mentor

Former India opener Gautam Gambhir was on Saturday appointed mentor of the new Lucknow franchise ahead of IPL 2022.

The southpaw, who is also a member of parliament, had captained KKR to two IPL titles during his playing days.

"Thanks a lot to Dr Goenka and the RPSG Group for presenting me this wonderful opportunity in their setup.

"The fire to win a contest still burns bright inside me, the desire to leave a winner's legacy still kicks me 24x7. I will not be contesting for a dressing room but for the spirit and soul of Uttar Pradesh," Gambhir said in a statement.

Owner of the yet to be named franchise, Sanjiv Goenka welcomed Gambhir into the RPSG family.

"Gautam has an impeccable career record. I respect his cricketing mind and look forward to working with him," he said.

The 40-year-old played 58 Tests, 147 ODIs and 37 T20Is for India.