Former Australia cricketer Justin Langer revealed how a chance encounter in London with Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) owner Sanjiv Goenka prompted him to take up a coaching role in the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise. He joined the Lucknow outfit ahead of the 2024 season.
Langer had left his role as the Australia head coach in February 2022 and wasn’t actively looking for a job. The ex-Aussie opener was linked with the vacant England head coach post after Chris Silverwood but it was eventually offered to Kiwi superstar Brendon McCullum.
However, Langer admitted to being enticed by the LSG role after the challenge that Goenka had given him.
Speaking on the Beyond 23 Cricket Podcast, Justin Langer revealed,
“The last words he said to me were, ‘Justin, I know you have had a very successful career, been a very good player, and you have had a very successful coaching career. But, let’s face it, you cannot classify yourself as a great coach until you win the IPL.”
LSG had a mixed first season under the leadership of Langer, where they finished seventh in the points table with seven wins and as many losses and subsequently missed out on securing a playoffs berth.
The team has now undergone changes after letting go of previous skipper KL Rahul and roping in Rishabh Pant as the new captain of the side. This season, LSG have made a strong start so far with three wins from five games and currently occupy the fifth spot in the table.
They will next play the Gujarat Titans (GT) at home on April 12.
