Despite a dismal performance last season, KL Rahul has reportedly expressed interest in being retained by Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for IPL 2025. He also met LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka at his residence and rumors floated about retention talks between the two.
LSG finished 7th on the IPL 2024 points table with 7 wins and 7 losses. One of the most notable things from last season was the animated chat between Goenka and Rahul after Sunrisers Hyderabad decimated LSG in a crunch match.
SRH chased down 163 runs against LSG in under 10 overs in a brutal display of batting, which left Sanjiv Goenka fuming and he took it all out on captain KL Rahul. Rahul was seen helplessly listening to his franchise owner.
Many thought KL Rahul would not want to be retained with reports stating a couple of other franchises showing interest in Rahul.
Rahul, a former national team vice-captain, is no longer part of India's T20 squad. Rahul led LSG to the IPL playoffs in the first two seasons, but it was commonly assumed that Gautam Gambhir's strategic ability played a larger role than his leadership, which was thoroughly exposed in the third season.
"Yes, Rahul came to Kolkata and met Dr Goenka at RPG head office. He has told Dr Goenka that he wants to be retained. However, till BCCI comes up with a retention policy, LSG management wouldn't want to chalk out their plans. Look, Rahul wants retention but till LSG knows how many are to be retained and what's the new purse, they can't commit anyone," an IPL Governing Council member told PTI.
Retaining Rahul as the first option could result in a deduction of Rs 18 to 20 crore (if the team purse is increased) from the auction purse. No organization, currently hunting for X-factor players at the top, would invest that much in Rahul.
If Royal Challengers Bengaluru were serious about bringing him back, he would not have traveled to Kolkata on his own. Rahul's batting approach, which is unfortunately out of date in T20 cricket, is thought to have piqued the curiosity of a few franchises.
Rahul, unlike MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant, and Suryakumar Yadav, is unable to secure significant team sponsorship. As a result, Rahul may have to return to auction, where his name may not be in high demand.
It is also reported that LSG's agreement with Zaheer Khan has been concluded, and he will be announced as a coach shortly.
(PTI inputs)
