Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) team mentor Gautam Gambhir on Monday broke his silence on signing 'enemies' Krunal Pandya and Deepak Hooda in the same team in the IPL 2022 mega auction. Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) signed allrounder Krunal Pandya for INR 8.254 crore and Deepak Hooda for INR 5.75 crore. After LSG bought Krunal and Deepak in the same team, fans were quick to outline the ugly brawl between both the all-rounders in the domestic circuit.
Now, LSG team mentor Gautam Gambhir has broken his silence on the signing of possible enemies Krunal Pandya and Deepak Hooda. While talking to Sports Tak, Gautam Gambhir clarified that the LSG bid for both Krunal and Deepak based on their cricketing potential and not even for once thought about their brawl which took place in the past. Furthermore, Gambhir stated that one does not need to be best friends in order to perform for the franchise. The LSG team mentor cited his own example and said that during his 7 years captaincy sting he wasn't close to every players but still performed for the team.
"You don't need to be best friends to perform. You need to be better professionals to perform. During my career, not everyone was my best friend or during my 7 years of captaincy stint, I was not close to everyone. But in those three hours, what results we can produce on the ground together for the franchise is more important. And you also don't want to pick only best friends. Picking best friends don't give you the surety to win your matches. We all are professionals even Krunal Pandya and Deepak Hooda. If you are best friends but you win matches for your franchise that is what matters. And there is no conflict in the world that cannot be solved which can't be sorted, If you give them better environment and space, they'll deliver," said Gautam Gambhir.
What happened between Krunal Pandya and Deepak Hooda?
In early 2021, Deepak Hooda had quit from Baroda team and mailed to the Baroda Cricket Association accusing Krunal Pandya of abusing and misbehaving with him. Hooda, who had played 46 first-class matches, was miffed at the behaviour of Pandya, who has represented India and sent an e-mail to the cricket body. "At this moment, I am demoralised, depressed and under pressure. As from last some days, my team captain Mr Krunal Pandya is using abusing language to me in front of my teammates and also other state teams who have come for participation at Reliance Stadium Vadodara," Hooda had written in the letter to BCA.
"Today I was practising in nets and doing my preparation for tomorrow's game with the permission of head coach Mr. Prabhakar. Then Krunal came in nets (and) started misbehaving with me," alleged Hooda. Pandya has not yet reacted to the complaint," Hooda had further alleged.
Later Deepak Hooda joined Rajasthan for the domestic circuit.