'Do you even know if he is entering the auction?' - Sanjiv Goenka clears air on keeping INR 50 crore reserved for Rohit Sharma

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) owner Sanjiv Goenka reacted to reports suggesting that the franchise had reserved INR 50 crore to acquire the services of the legendary Rohit Sharma.

The Mumbai batter led India to the T20 World Cup title in June before announcing his retirement from the format. However, he will continue playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Last year, he was removed from his role as captain of the Mumbai Indians (MI) as Hardik Pandya replaced him. This caused massive backlash as fans slammed the MI management for this decision. Reports also emerged, suggesting that Rohit wasn't happy at the franchise.

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Recent reports have suggested that the five-time IPL-winning captain could be released ahead of the mega auction. If Rohit gets into the auction pool, he could start a bidding war. However, Goenka has logically explained why reserving INR 50 crore for the iconic batter isn't realistic approach.

“Do you even know if Rohit Sharma is entering the auction? This is all unnecessary. It all depends on whether Mumbai Indians release Rohit Sharma or not. And even if Rohit comes to auction... if you put 50 per cent of your purse on one player, how will you buy other play?” Goenka said during an interview with SportsTak.

“Everyone wishes to have the best captain and best players. It's not about wanting. It all depends on what you have, and what is available, and what all you can do with it. Everyone franchise will have the same desire," he added.

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On Wednesday, August 28, the Super Giants roped in Zaheer Khan as their new mentor. After reaching the playoffs in 2022 and 2023, KL Rahul-led LSG missed out last season as they finished seventh, with seven wins and as many defeats from 14 games. Zaheer will look to work in unison with head coach Justin Langer to help the Super Giants win a first IPL title.