Lucknow Super Giants ‘stamp’ their authority in Bengaluru

Bengaluru : New Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Lucknow Super Giants have found a unique way to congratulate the players they has secured in the Mega Auction, currently underway in Bengaluru — posting images on social media which resemble postage stamps of yesteryears.

On Saturday, Lucknow Super Giants, who will be playing their maiden IPL this season, first posted an image of South African wicketkeeper-batter Quinton de Kock, whom they bought for INR 6.75 crores after being “challenged” by his former team Mumbai Indians (MI) and the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

Chennai and Lucknow jumped in first and Mumbai followed suit. Just when it looked like Lucknow had got him, Delhi Capitals jumped in. But Lucknow stayed solid and got him for INR 6.75 crores, making the South African the first buy for the franchise.

With a “postage stamp” image, the Lucknow Super Giants tweeted, “The first of our auction journey! Welcome to the Giants, QuinTON de Kock!”. The South African’s price was prominenty marked in the same place where the postage stamp denominations are printed.

For their next buy, tall West Indies all-rounder Jason Holder, they posted a similar image but in a yellow hue and tweeted, “Big Man, Big Ambitions… Welcome to the Super Giants, @Jaseholder98!”

For Deepak Hooda, who went for INR 5.75 crore, the franchise wrote, “Talented Munda, Deepak Hooda!”

All-rounder Deepak Hooda, whose base accelerated from INR 40 lakh to 75 lakh due to his debut in ODIs against the West Indies, saw interest from Rajasthan, Bangalore, Chennai and Mumbai. But it was Lucknow who succeeded in picking him for INR 5.75 crores.