Reports: Elections-bound Gautam Gambhir likely to miss IPL 2024

Gautam Gambhir. (Photo Source: Twitter)

Lucknow Super Giants mentor Gautam Gambhir will likely miss the 2024 edition of the Indian Premier League due to Lok Sabha Election in the nation. Notably, the 41-year-old is a Member of Parliament of the East Delhi constituency, and hence, he will have a packed schedule during the IPL. However, according to reports, the former cricketer will not be parting ways with the franchise but will be taking a break to focus on his political obligations.

Meanwhile, after Justin Langar’s appointment as the head coach of the franchise, there were reports of Gambhir leaving the franchise to join Kolkata Knight Riders. However, a source recently clarified the situation and stated why Gambhir decided to opt out of next year’s IPL.

“Yes, Gautam Gambhir is likely to just take a break for the next IPL to political commitments. He is not moving to a different team or leaving franchises. There will be a lot of political work involved in the build-up to the Lok Sabha elections, so he wants to focus all his energies towards that,” a source told News18.

Notably, Gambhir joined Lucknow ahead of the 2022 edition of the IPL and has done a commendable job. Under his mentorship, the franchise qualified for the playoffs on both occasions but has failed to play the final. In order to change that, LSG recently parted ways with former head coach Andy Flower and replaced him with Justin Langer. They have also roped in MSK Prasad as the new strategic consultant.

On the other hand, the entire edition of IPL 2024 may not take place in the sub-continent due to elections. In 2009, it moved to South Africa, while in 2014, the first half was played in the United Arab Emirates. However, in 2019, the entire tournament was designed in a manner that did not disrupt the election process. The same can repeat next year too, but nothing has been finalised thus far.