The reason why LSG spent a lot of money on Pooran at the IPL auction, according to Gautam Gambhir

At the most recent auction for the Indian Premier League 2023, Lucknow Supergiants LSG shelled out a hefty Rs 16 crore to secure the services of West Indies wicket-keeper batsman Nicholas Pooran.

Many people felt that the cost was excessive given that Pooran has not been able to achieve regular results in the league in the past. Pooran has only scored 912 runs throughout 47 games in the league, and he has only four scores of fifty or more to his name.

Although he did not have a great season overall, he did have a respectable outing last year because he scored 306 runs in 14 matches with a strike rate that was close to 145.

Due to the high bid, Pooran now holds the record for most expensive West Indian player ever acquired at an IPL auction.

Later, former India opener and current LSG mentor Gautam Gambhir outlined the reasoning behind the franchise’s decision to spend an excessive amount of money to get the player.

“I don’t bother to watch the most recent season. I consider the player’s ability as well as the impact they have. It is not necessary to score between 500 and 600 runs to win this competition.

That player has the potential to win you two or three matches throughout the season, and he also has experience working in his favour. “If you can get a player of that calibre, you should do everything in your power to create your squad around him,” Gambhir said in an interview with JioCinema.

“I’m not just looking for this season, but he also gives us longevity,” I said. Very few players in their twenties (27-28 years old) have the potential to do that.

As more games are played, Pooran will continue to develop his skills. According to a report by Cricketnext, he continued, “I always believe that records only generate headlines but impact wins you the tournament.”

In their inaugural season, 2022, Lucknow made it all the way to the playoffs, but fellow newcomers the Gujarat Titans ended up winning the championship.

The group would like to improve on their performance from the previous year and take home the championship trophy this time around.