KL Rahul will be in the spotlight as the player retention exercise for the IPL 2025 will begin in some time. The franchises are waiting for instructions from the BCCI on the number of retentions and RTM cards in the auction to make their decision.
KL Rahul has captained Lucknow Super Giants from IPL 2022 onwards and led them to the playoffs in their first two seasons. However, LSG had a poor outing in IPL 2024, finishing 7th on the points table. However, KL Rahul scored 520 runs in 14 games with 4 fifties at an average of 37.14 and a strike rate of 136.12.
As speculation mounts regarding Rahul's departure as LSG captain and possibly from the franchise, the player has conveyed a subtle message to IPL team owners.
Rahul stated that IPL owners nowadays come from corporate backgrounds and rely heavily on data in their player-selecting decisions. However, according to Rahul, data does not ensure success.
"Owners coming from business background in IPL, they do research and pick the team but it doesn't guarantee that you will win every game. You might get the Best player based on Data but they might have a horrible year. Every player can have a bad day in Sports. There's nothing in sport that guarantees success. There's no formula that can get you success," said Rahul on Nitin Kamath's podcast.
Further in the podcast, Rahul said that he has started planning his life after his eventual retirement and even said that he can already see the "end of the tunnel".
"There is no insecurity, but there is a feeling that all this ends, and for me it ends very quickly. If you are fit enough, you can play till 40. That is the maximum someone has played. Yes, there is MS Dhoni, who is 43 and is still playing. You can play the IPL and all of that, but not at the international level for too long. There is a fear and realization that the shelf life is really small for an athlete, and you need to make the most of it within whatever time you have," said KL Rahul.
"For me, the anxiety was when I hit 30. I could see the end of the tunnel. Till I was 29, I could not see that. Some weird thing happened on my 30th birthday. I could see I had 10 more years to play cricket, and that gave me anxiety, and that was the first time I felt like 'This comes to an end at some point.' All I have done all my life is 'Cricket, Cricket, Cricket,' without imagining this comes to an end. Now I can see it. It is not too far away," he added.
Rahul also stated that he has begun to consider enterprises and investments, as the India batsman feels his earnings will be much reduced after retirement.
"I don't know. That is part of the reason I have started thinking about businesses and investing my money right. So that my life after cricket is taken care of. I know there will be a huge dip in the amount I earn after I retire. COVID-19 happened at the right time and it gave me time to sit and research how I can invest my money. You generally lean on your family to guide you when you start earning, but I did not have that. All this is new for my father too.
I met some good people. I have some good friends who guided me. I am trying to set up a few things before I retire so that when I retire that transition from an athlete to doing something in business will be smooth and make me happier than not knowing what to do," Rahul further revealed.
