‘Gambhir aur KL Rahul ko sack naa karde’ – Fans react as Justin Langer replaces Andy Flower as Lucknow Super Giants head coach

Former head coach of Australia, Justin Langer has been named the head coach of Lucknow Super Giants, an IPL team. The change occurs about an hour after former head coach Andy Flower was released from the franchise.

Flower, who collaborated closely with the Super Giants’ director of cricket, Gautam Gambhir, had a successful tenure with the team, finishing in the playoffs in both of their previous seasons. Super Giants finished third in their inaugural IPL season in 2022, and in IPL 2023, they were eliminated in the Eliminator. Currently serving as Australia’s consultant for the men’s Ashes, Flower is one of the most seasoned coaches in the T20 circuit.

On the other hand, Justin Langer has extensive experience coaching T20 cricket, having led Perth Scorchers to three Big Bash League championships, while never having held a coaching position in the IPL. In 2021, in the UAE, Australia won the T20 World Cup for the first time with him serving as their head coach. Early in 2022, he left his position as Australia’s head coach after declining a short-term extension.

LSG were led by Krunal Pandya in IPL 2023 following KL Rahul’s injury

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) had another unlucky Playoff finish in IPL 2023. Notably, they lost their skipper KL Rahul mid-way through the season after he picked up an injury in their clash against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). Following this, KL Rahul had to undergo surgery in London and is currently rehabilitating at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru.

LSG were led by Krunal Panya for the remainder of the season in a run that saw them reach the Eliminator and crash against the Mumbai Indians. Indians, on the other hand, could not handle the Gujarat Titans (GT) in the second qualifier as GT reached the finals to set a date with MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Ultimately, the final of the IPL 2023 saw CSK win their record-equalling fifth IPL title.

Lucknow Super Kings have their eyes on an extended run in the upcoming 2024 season. A change in the coaching setup shows their seriousness in the buildup to the upcoming season of the IPL next year.

Here’s how fans reacted: