The Sanjeev Goenka-owned group, RPSG are now the owners of the costliest franchise in The IPL. RPSG group have an old association with The IPL. They have bought the Lucknow team for an insane price of INR 7040 crores. Industry experts were left in awe of this historic deal. But Mr. Goenka sounds confident about his business plan.
Mr. Goenka’s IPL experience:
His belief stems from experience. He previously owned the Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS) franchise. RPS played in the 2016-17 IPL season. In 2016, they finished second-last in the points table. But they turned their fortunes around in 2017. The team had the biggest name in MS Dhoni. But their 2017 campaign especially was defined by unsung heroes.
We look at 6 such players who we don’t remember had played for RPS:
#6 Scott Boland
Scott Boland is the latest Australian sensation. He made a fantastic Test debut at the MCG against England. Boland has long been part of Australia’s squad. He made his limited-overs debut quite early. Boland though couldn’t really cement his place in the white-ball squad. On the back of his international debut, he bagged an IPL contract. Boland played for RPS in 2016. He ended up picking 2 wickets in as many games that season.
#5 Usman Khwaja
Usman Khwaja became just the third batsman to smash two centuries in a Sydney Test. He has been the talk of the town ever since he was in the running for the Ashes. Khwaja finally got a game in the 4th Test. He made the most of it scoring twin centuries. Khwaja is likely to fetch a good number in the upcoming mega auctions too. He played for RPS in 2016.
#4 Deepak Chahar
Deepak Chahar’s IPL career took off in 2018. He made the ball talk playing a pivotal role in CSK’s title-winning campaign. Chahar soon made his India debut following that breakthrough season. But little do people know that he had also plied his trade for RPS in 2016.
#3 Adam Zampa
Adam Zampa holds the record for having the best figures in a losing cause in The IPL. Zampa picked up 6-19 in a game against SRH in 2016. He was one of the shining lights of a forgettable campaign for RPS in 2016. Zampa has since then gone from strength to strength. His skills were on complete display in the T20 World Cup 2021.
#2 Mayank Agarwal
Mayank Agarwal’s T20I game has reached the next level in the last couple of seasons. He has married consistency with aggression beautifully. Agarwal was one of the most high-profile retentions of IPL 2022. The Punjab Kings duly rewarded his loyalty. Agarwal before joining Punjab was almost a journeyman every season. He played for RPS in 2017.
#1 Mitchell Marsh
Mitchell Marsh had a stellar T20 year in 2021. He capped it off brilliantly with a player of the match performance in the T20 World Cup finals. Marsh batting at number tore apart attacks right from the word go. He played a crucial knock even in the semi-finals negating the threat of venom-spewing Pakistani pacers. RPS in 2016 bought him for INR 4.8 crores. He was one of the most high-profile signings for RPS that year.
